


Moments Beyond

by Montreat11



Series: Moments Series [16]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-10-06 03:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 136,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17338154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Montreat11/pseuds/Montreat11
Summary: Sometimes, on the road to Happily Ever After, wandering another path can lead you exactly where you want to go. 16th in the Moments Series, Belle's perspective on her life and marriage with Rumpelstiltskin as they seek to break his curse, contains everything from season seven, in life. R/R.





	1. The Beginning of the End

"Ayana is doing her homework, Flynn is doing the dishes, and I'm putting my favorite godson to bed! Yes, I am! Yes, I am!"

In the background, she could hear her son let out a squeal as Rapunzel's voice assumed a childish tone that told her she was talking far more to Gideon than she was to her. It made her smile. The image of her best friend putting her son to bed in a scene that was far more domestic than she ever would have thought possible for the girl she'd once known in the Enchanted Forest who was once afraid of her own shadow. And when she considered just how long Rapunzel had been begging her to let her take Gideon for the weekend, she was pleased to hear it was going well.

"Well…I just wanted to check."

"Seriously, things are fine here!" Rapunzel insisted with a small laugh. "What are you doing checking and calling anyway? Wasn't the whole point of the weekend getaway to get away? Spend some time with your husband, remember what it was like to be married instead of just parents?"

She nodded, despite the fact that Rapunzel couldn't see the response. Yes, that was exactly what this trip was about, which was why she was sitting on their bed at the cabin, wearing a new black negligée that was unlike anything she'd worn for months even before Gideon. It was their one-year anniversary. They'd wanted to spend it together in the cabin, far enough to have some romantic distance, but close enough that neither of them would be far if problems arose either with Gideon or the town.

After they'd dropped Gideon off at Flynn's house, they'd come up into the woods. Rumple had made them a delicious dinner which they'd eaten by candlelight. He'd insisted on doing the dishes, she'd insisted on getting changed. But after she'd put her night gown on, she heard the water still running outside, seen her cell phone by the bed, and couldn't resist the urge to fill the time by checking in on their son. It was the longest time he'd been away from either of them…at least since he'd become a baby once more. She knew that he was safe with Rapunzel, but knowing it and feeling it were far different tasks.

"I know, I just...I wanted to check on him. It's only been a few hours, but it amazes me how much I miss him."

"Miss the crying?"

She gave a small snort. "Maybe not that, but at the same time…yes, even the crying."

"Well…worry not. He is being perfectly behaved and saving all his tears for when you come back. I think he actually..."

Rapunzel's voice faded as the door to their bedroom suddenly opened and her husband, the one she was supposed to be spending this time with, stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Her heart pounded with the fear of discovery. This was supposed to be about them. He'd wanted it to be only them. And here she was talking on the phone with Rapunzel! She hadn't been trying to do it secretively...but she had hoped the call would be over by the time he'd finished the dishes.

She waited for one heartbeat to see what he'd do, how he'd react or who he'd say, but, to her astonishment and relief, he didn't seem surprised, or even upset. Instead, he looked at her on the bed, gave a small smirk and went to the dresser where he placed his watch and began to tug on his tie.

"...really likes it when Ayana does that. I think it terrifies Flynn how good she is with him."

"Tell him we say good night. And that we love him," she requested. "Only two more nights and we'll see him again."

There was a small pause on the other end, where she somehow know that Rapunzel knew what had just happened and she swore she could see her smiling.

"I don't know that he'll understand, but I'll tell him."

"He'll understand. And thank you again, for watching him."

"No problem. Just have you know…have fun tonight," she commented with amusement in her voice.

"Thanks, I'll talk to you later!" she blushed before hanging up quickly. "Sorry," she muttered in Rumple's direction as she tossed the cell phone back onto her bedside table. "I just had to..."

"It's completely understandable," Rumple muttered turning back to her and undoing the buttons at his cuffs. "How is our boy?"

She sighed but offered a smile. "Things are going well. We have nothing to worry about."

"But you are worried."

She should have tried to deny it, but it was only seconds until she let out a small chuckle and nodded. "I didn't know it was possible to worry all the time. Even when I'm not worried."

He smirked and gave a small nod of agreement.

Parenthood had changed them both, without a doubt. Even if he'd already been a parent, Gideon was different than Neal, not in a better or worse way. It was just different. He wasn't a single parent anymore or raising his son in a loveless marriage, and she sensed that was what had truly changed him this time around. He had someone he could rely upon now. She liked that about their marriage.

But this trip wasn't about parenthood, as Rapunzel had reminded her. It was about the pair of them. Not as parents but as a couple. Lovers. They'd had sex since they'd gotten back together six months ago, they'd fallen back in love almost as easily as the first time, but taking the time to be lovers once more, as carefree and wild as they had been during their first trip up here…they hadn't experienced that since their honeymoon, which always left a sour taste in her mouth when she considered what had followed. She wanted this to be new, a fresh start for their marriage. He'd been the one to insist they take this trip but she'd understood the necessity of it. And being alone in the cabin with him, suddenly she saw the benefits of it easily enough.

"Here," she muttered rising onto her knees and holding her arms open. "Let me."

All motions he'd been busy with stopped at her order and with little hesitation he took a step closer to meet her at the edge of their bed and offered his hands to her.

"You look lovely," he muttered as she worked one cuff free easily. "Any particular occasion?"

"Mmm, it's for my husband," she smirked freeing the second cuff and moving on to his tie. "It's our one-year anniversary."

"Ah…the first year…many say the most difficult year."

"Oh! Not us," she rejected with sarcasm. "We've had a picture-perfect marriage all year long."

"Is that so? You think he's earned a look like this then?"

"Certainly," she whispered placing the tie in his hand. But instead of moving away from her, or allowing him to go, she allowed her hands to roam up his chest and behind his neck. She placed her mouth along his neck and followed the curve of the collar bone that her untying and unbuttoning had uncovered. She listened to his sighs and moans, to the song of her heart beating against his own. Kissing was the perfect thing to distract her from the distance between them and their son. It amazed her, after all these months, that her fingers still instinctively reached for long locks, but she was getting used to enjoying the feel of this shorter spikier hair of his. It hadn't been her first choice, but now-

"Belle! Belle!" Instead of a sigh she was surprised to feel his arms at her elbows pushing her away so she could meet his eyes. "Before we get too far along...I have something for you."

Before she could comment about whether or not now was the right time he left her there, on her knees, to begin rummaging through his suitcase. She plopped herself down on the bed so hard it bounced beneath her, and finally, he pulled out a small wrapped package topped with a bow.

Her frustration turned to excitement as she looked it over and all thoughts of timing fled. An anniversary present! He was giving her an anniversary gift! She wasn't sure she could ever remember him giving her a gift, at least not wrapped like this! The library key had been wrapped but not given in person…this was a first. A true grift exchange.

"You shouldn't have," she beamed taking it carefully from his hands and looking the paper over.

"I should have," he corrected. "I was the reason you lost it in the first place."

Too big to be jewelry, too small to be a book. It was about the right shape for perfume but still far too big to be just one. What had he gotten her? Her head was spinning; she couldn't for the life of her determine what on earth she had lost that he'd give back to her.

"Open in," he urged.

With a small girlish giggle and a nod, she pulled the bow apart and unwrapped the paper to reveal a plain, unassuming box. Inside the box-

She felt her smile vanish and she nearly dropped it out of shock. With startled bewilderment, she looked up at Rumple, then back down into its depths half expecting what she saw to disappear or be a trick of the mind. But it didn't, and that meant it wasn't.

"My…my chipped cup!" she exclaimed pulling it free from its packaging to examine it. It was just as she remembered it before Merida had stolen it. The same porcelain, the same pattern, the same dimensions. The same chip in the same place it had always been! This wasn't a copy, it was her chipped cup! Her mind was a mess, and she tried to think through a possible scenario but just couldn't come up with a single way this was possible. He said he'd destroyed it! Been forced to destroy it in order to break free earlier this year! But now there was not so much as a hairline fracture, not even around the shard he'd brought her back after his ordeal!

"But…but how?!" she gawked. "You destroyed it! You brought me a piece back! Right here!"

"And because my mother didn't know the significance of it there was no plan for it in her curse. I found the shard I gave to you in one of my drawers after her curse broke and with a minor enchantment I was able to trace the rest of the broken pieces right back to the forest where I'd left them. They were half buried in the dirt but it was as simple as resurrecting them from the earth. Another small spell put it all back together and undid what I'd done. All, of course, but one bit that is forever missing…"

"The chip," she choked out examining the sharp little indent at the top. She shook her head still in disbelief. It was perfect. Just as if she'd dropped it yesterday, as if it had never weathered in the forest for months before it's rescue, as if it hadn't survived such a terrible curse. It was unbelievable.

"Thank you!" she cried, raising herself up again so that she could kiss him again. It was the only thing that she could give him that might come close to the value of that teacup. The gift she was concealing in her own bag couldn't compare to this. In fact, after this, she was almost embarrassed to pull away and admit she had something for him too. The thought did occur to lie to him and tell him she had nothing and find something better after their trip, but what was ever going to be as impressive or as important as what he'd given her? It was better to just hand her own over now. It wasn't sentimental, but it was something he'd been saying he wanted. At the very least, it was something.

"I was going to give it to you tomorrow. Don't get your hopes up, it's nothing as good as this!" she proclaimed setting her cup safely on a dresser.

"Whatever it is I'm sure I'll love it."

She hoped that was true as she retrieved the large package from her bag and handed it to him. She bit her lip as she watched him unwrap it. One thing was for certain, she deserved points for effort, finding one like he wanted, that wasn't in his shop had taken her and Rapunzel an entire afternoon!

"A camera!"

"To take pictures of Gideon, as he grows," she provided as she crawled back up onto the bed. No, it wasn't as sentimental as her teacup, but not a week went by when he didn't mention that he would take a picture of Gideon doing something or other if he only had a camera. And since the only pictures they had of Neal were either photographs that Emma had taken with very little story to go with them or hand-drawn images she's crafted herself, she knew that he'd want all he could carry of Gideon. "It'll all pass too fast, you know. He'll be grown before we know it, they all say so. This way you can capture every moment, so you never have to forget."

"It's wonderful," he whispered with a beaming smile that made her own glow. He was happy, though it certainly wasn't as special as their teacup she was pleased to see it was a well thought out surprise. And there was no reason that the moments the camera would capture couldn't grow to be just as special as her teacup. It would be entirely up to them to see to that.

She watched as he examined it, endlessly curious about the technology behind it. Somethings never changed. She sat on their bed half naked, and he was content to fiddle with that thing, hardly noticing her. He turned it over in his hands and even raised it to his eye testing out the lens-

"Rumple!" she cried with a near giggle as he snapped a picture of her there on the bed in nothing but the revealing negligée she'd bought for this night.

"What?" he questioned with something less than innocence. He acted as though it was an accident, but the grin that he was sporting as he pulled the picture free from the camera told her it hadn't been. Perhaps he had noticed her, then.

"I didn't give it to you so you could do that!" she chastised as he set the camera aside and watched the white framed photograph develop in his hand. She blushed. "You are going to get rid of that, aren't you? You are going to destroy it so no one else will ever see it as long as we live!"

He shrugged. "I have an aversion to getting rid of beautiful things especially when complete, irrevocable destruction is involved."

"Rumple! If I ever find that in an album somewhere-"

"It'll go somewhere safe," he whispered, putting it aside so he could look her over as he stepped closer to the bed. She sighed and rose up once more on her knees so she could put her arms around his neck, secretly wondering if she could grab that photo and throw it in the fire without him noticing. "I'll put it somewhere where it will be for my eyes only as long as we live. For as many memories as I make and cherish with Gideon, I want to make just as many with you. And tonight you look…" he took a step back so as to admire her in a way that made her bit her lower lip and cast her eyes down. His gaze made her blush and nearly cry at the same time. It was the look he gave her that made her feel like a rare diamond or a precious ruby.

"You are a memory I want to keep tonight," he muttered. "The real thing is certainly better than a picture. But after this year…I'm not sure I truly deserve-"

She silenced him, reaching up carefully to press her lips to his before he could finish that sentence. She didn't want to focus on what he was bound to bring up because there was still part of her that thought if she focused too much on that time in their life she would lose her nerve and run away again. If they were going to start comparing then neither of them deserved this. So instead she distracted them both. She let her kiss linger, then let her lips part and tangled their tongues together. She heard Rumpelstiltskin draw a deep breath and felt his hands move to wrap tightly around her waist, then to her back, then one that wandered further down and grasped the black fabric that hung loose there. Her response was quick enough. She didn't need him to do anymore and so she uncurled her fingers from his neck, gripped the open collar of his shirt, and tugged him forward. First, he kissed her as he leaned over the bed, then crawled up next to her, then lay by her side.

She was pleased to see that he was in no rush. He didn't cover her body with his, not right away. Instead, they just lay there. Their soft kisses turned to deep, languid embraces. His hands explored her body moving at will from her cheek, to her neck and shoulder, along her arms and her breasts, over the curve of her hip and upper thigh before moving back up and down again, and finally wandering under her night gown and coming to rest at the skin of her waist. Still, he kept his thumb moving, a constant, caring caress. She didn't know how long they repeated this motion, she didn't know how many kisses passed between them, or when her fingers had opened the buttons on his shirt so that she could touch the skin at his waist, but she didn't care. She wanted to lose track of time. She wanted to allow herself to enjoy every minute of it, every kiss, every touch and caress of love that he left upon her.

He only pulled away when she hummed in pleasure. He left a few more pecks against her lips before he pushed some hair out of her eyes. Her heart raced as she stared up at him, her head comfortable on the pillow his arm provided her. With a deep breath and gulp, she tugged on the hem of her nightdress herself and pulled it up and over her head before dropping it over the edge of the bed and placing her hand against his chest. He was overdressed, still wearing his dress pants and shirt. That needed to be rectified as quickly as possible.

"So tell me…" he whispered as she wound her hand around his neck and kissed his collar bone. "What did I do to deserve all this?"

She smiled as she rolled closer against him. "I believe the phrase I heard was 'happy wife, happy life'."

She smiled again, waiting for him to give in, expecting him to move closer so that they could bind themselves together in the way they were becoming more accustomed to doing in the last few months…but he didn't. As she squirmed to get closer, she felt his arms go ridged and knew she'd said something she shouldn't have. There was no surprise this time when he gently pushed her away, still within reach, just enough for him to look into her eyes. When she stared back the look she saw wasn't the look of love and heat that she expected. It was a look of shock and uncertainty.

"And are you?" he questioned. His voice was soft but his eyes…they were not. They were hard with worry and concentration. Concern. "Are you happy? Again?"

Her heart was racing as she realized that she'd unknowingly opened up a conversation that went much deeper than typical anniversary antics. A conversation about happiness. It might have seemed silly, but happiness was still a topic that made her break out into a cold sweat. A year ago, when they'd been here in the cabin celebrating their marriage she would have said that she was happy, happier than she ever would have expected she could be…but then it had all ended. Before that, the night she'd gotten him back from Neverland, she had been happy, and then he had been taken away from her. And before that, they'd stood together with a bright orange line that represented the town line. He'd stepped over the town line, prepared to finally accomplish his goals knowing she'd be waiting there for him when she returned, and she'd been happy. And then there had been no memory of him at all. It wasn't happiness that she was afraid of, it was what came after. After everything she was conditioned to expect the worst when she was happiest.

"Will you tell me what you are thinking?" he muttered when she'd been silent for too long.

She snorted and managed a smile. She was conditioned to expect the worst when she was happiest, but there was something different now than all those times that she'd been happiest and lost him or herself or their child. It was that question. She'd made a mistake in all those cases in thinking that they were perfect, that because they shared True Love their relationship was impervious to the disasters of anything beyond it. Now she was aware that neither of them believed that. She understood that their relationship at its strongest had the potential to be impervious to the disasters of anything beyond it, but in order to be strong it had to be impervious to the disasters inside of it. They had to be strong together, they had to work at their relationship. And they were. It wasn't just her. He was working too, trying harder to tell her about what he was thinking and doing, to use her when he felt tempted and angry. And she was trying to be less guarded, to take apart the wall she'd built around her heart to protect it from him and let him back inside. They still dwelled behind a wall, but now they were both behind it, and thanks to friends like Rapunzel, that wall had a door that they opened occasionally to others.

"Belle…"

"Yes," she breathed at his prompt. "Yes, I am…I am happy."

"But…"

"But…" she closed her eyes and struggled to get closer to him, despite the fact that she knew it was getting to be impossible. But he took the cue perfectly, stretching his arms across her bare back and kissing her forehead. This was the tough part of working at their relationship. Baring bodies was easy, baring souls was difficult when it had been taken advantage of over and over. She still had to fight the logic in her mind that screamed at her to keep her secrets. But it helped that she was coming to find that it was those times when they needed to confide in one another most of all.

"But I'm used to things going bad when I'm happy," she finally muttered against him. "It always seems like when I'm happiest, it ends too quickly. It makes me worry, even when I'm not worrying about it."

He didn't try to excuse her fears, or defend his role in creating them. He merely let out a deep sigh and let his grip on her tighten. "Things are different now," he muttered. "We are different now."

It was the right thing to say. It didn't deny the past, merely reaffirmed their present and possibly the future. Still, she wiggled back against him, and he loosened his grip to let her so that she could move one of his hands over her breast, to the spot her heart still beat rapidly.

"I understand that here," she muttered before moving her hand to her head. "But here," -she tapped the hand that rested over her heart- "is going to take more time."

It was something that he'd often told her before. It took his head more time to trust than it did his heart. There had been a time she was the opposite, but now it was the same with her. Her heart was healing easily enough, but getting her head to go along with it was going to take more time than they'd had so far. Fortunately, she knew that he was up for the challenge.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed and adjusted her in his arms so that she lay flat on her back on the bed and he bent to kiss the skin between her breasts that trembled with every beat of her heart. She knew what to expect next, but still let out a gasp of shock when she felt his breath on her breast and his lips on her nipple. She drew a deep breath and wrapped her hands over his neck and head, letting the motions of his tongue against her skin curl her toes and arch her back. This was what she'd expected from an anniversary trip.

The cool air tickled her breast when he raised his mouth and glanced up at her. "What can I do to get the message from here…to here," he questioned, rising just enough to kiss her forehead. She was already smiling and aware of how their bodies were beginning to naturally entwine. She was more than ready to put this conversation to bed for tonight along with them. As good as conversations like this were, nothing could be done tonight alone to reassure her that the happiness she felt wasn't going to end, that was something that would take time. But there were certainly strides that could be made tonight to help her heart.

So she put her hands against his cheeks and looked up at himself, braced on his elbows on either side of her he gazed down with a special intensity that told her he was genuinely interested in what she had to say. She could do little more than pray that wouldn't change.

"Just don't let me down again. Be here, for me, for Gideon. Don't let us down."

He nodded. "I won't."

And that was how she learned that he could take steps to heal her head just as he did her heart. It was a surprise that he had responded, truly it had been. He was a smart man, a man who didn't like to make deals without the promise of a return and a man who didn't like to make promises he knew he wouldn't keep. In the past, when she'd asked such things of him he would usually respond with a kiss, an open-ended reassurance because he was too afraid to make a promise that he might be held to or could not keep. This time he'd made it, and she felt…she felt happy. She felt true happiness swell in her chest and force her to breath deep as she fought to keep tears of joy out of her eyes.

She swallowed hard as she ran fingers through short hair and gazed into wrinkled eyes. "I love you," she muttered happily, before leaning up to bring their lips closer together. "I love you so much!"

There were no gentle kisses or a subtle leading into romanticism. Their kisses were immediately deep, as if their conversation had been the foreplay and they'd missed no time at all.

In the hours that followed she couldn't stop smiling.

Neither could he.

They were both slick with sweat and the air smelled of sex and candle wax. But despite the fact that they were alone for the first time in six months, without a baby sleeping in the next room and there was so much more that they could be doing, they seemed happy to recline naked in their bed and stare into one another's eyes uninterrupted. They moved hands over their bodies and through hair, they pulled covers over each other when the air got cold, and they held each other tight when the moment seemed to require it. All the time they smiled.

When her right side got numb and her eyelids finally began to feel heavy, she rolled over, took his arm, and draped it over herself like it was another blanket. She couldn't see his face, but from the way he molded his body against her back and tightened his arms around her, she could tell he was still pleased with himself.

"I promise to love you until the day my life comes to an end," he muttered with his mouth against her shoulder. "You and Gideon. I promise to let you be my light when there is darkness. I promise to do what I must to keep you happy, even if that means not doing something."

She beamed as she snuggled into his arms and let out a long sigh. "Promise you won't stop making me promises," she requested.

"I promise," he whispered kissing her shoulder.

It wasn't possible to smile any more than she already was, but she managed and turned to kiss him just over her shoulder then snuggled back down in his embrace. Promises went a long way to help her head and her heart.

"It's been a long year, my love," she sighed as she finally let her eyes close. A year ago, laying in this very bed with him after their vows she never would have guessed the trials they would encounter. She would never have thought they would have a six-month-old son! And she never would have guessed six months ago that she'd be right back where they were the first night they'd been married, in love again, and perfectly happy.

"Let's hope the years that follow are more like this, Sweetheart."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! For those of you that are just checking out this fiction, welcome! For those of you who are a fan of the Moments Series, welcome back! I hope you'll enjoy this fiction. It's the 16th in the Moments Series, a series that is an attempt at an accurate portrayal of Belle's perspective during the Once Upon a Time series. This fiction features everything that happened in season seven, picking up with "Beauty" and ends with Belle passing away.
> 
> If you enjoy this fiction, please leave kudos or comments! I always enjoy those wonderful gems waiting for me in my inbox and I love writing back to thank you personally for reading! It helps me know that I'm doing a decent job! Peace and Happy Reading!


	2. Baby's Firsts

Perhaps the only good thing about spending her childhood pretending to be something she wasn't, was that as she got older, she was excellent at recognizing exactly what she was. The first time she'd really understood how to be a caretaker she knew it was something she was meant to be. The first time she stepped into her library at Storybrooke she'd known that she was meant to be a librarian. The first time she'd kissed her husband, even if it had been a terrible first kiss, she'd known that she was the one who was meant for him and he for her. The first time she'd held her child in her arms, tragic as that day had been, she'd known that she was meant to be his mother.

She loved being Gideon's mother, adored every second of it in a way she never expected because she'd never known that she wanted kids until she had one. He amazed her. Each and every day she found herself fascinated by how he grew. Though much of his first months were spent sleeping and eating, he grew from a tiny newborn into a strong baby. He'd doubled his weight and size, and then some, in only a matter of months.

He was a good a baby, which considering his first few weeks of life gave her great relief. In the beginning, she'd been tired, just as much as Rumpelstiltskin. Constantly waking in the night to feed him and make sure he was changed took its toll, but somewhere around three months old they'd noticed that he'd begun to go for longer and longer each night asleep and that there were times during the day, entire hours where he would wake and need entertaining. Their house, once so formal it could have passed for a museum, soon filled with baby toys, mats that Gideon could lay on, and objects that hung above his head and rattled or made other noises, making him so happy that his smile not only lit up the room but spread to the faces of both his parents as well.

He was never fussy. Though he did cry, it was never for long. As soon as what had bothered him was solved, as soon as he'd eaten or had his diaper changed or simply saw her or Rumple, his cries would cease and he would happily smile up at them, at her, his mother.

She was fascinated month by month at the milestones he hit and the way he slowly began to move and gain his own independence. When he was four months old, she was startled to find that he'd turned himself over while he was playing. It had shocked him at first and his crying had been what had her running to get him, fearing the worst, but after she'd figured out what it was, after Gideon figured out what he was capable of, there seemed to be nothing that could stop him. Over and over he would roll, so much so that he learned he could get nearly anywhere just by repeating that motion over and over again. They'd discovered that one afternoon, when she'd taken Gideon across the street to meet Rumple for lunch. She'd laid a plastic mat out over the hardwood floors and placed Gideon down as she preferred while they sat on the cot and had their lunch, quietly talking about something or other as they ate. They'd taken their eyes off of him for two seconds, and when they looked down, he was gone. She'd jumped up, trying not to panic, knowing that he had to be in the shop, and sure enough Rumple had found him a another second later, on the other side of the table, making happy noises as he turned and turned, crossing the room in seconds. They'd set him down again, but he'd only done it once more. It was the beginning of a very clever trend, proof he was his father's child.

It terrified her and made her want to keep him off the ground and hold him every second for fear that he'd run into something and knock a piece of furniture over onto himself or worse roll right down the stairs. Rumpelstiltskin, on the other hand, was perfectly calm about it, assuring her it was normal and as long as they kept a close watch on him, he'd be fine; it was necessary to build up his strength.

It seemed he was right, as only a month later he'd begun to cry more and more and it was Rumple who realized the problem. Milk was no longer satisfactory. Necessary, absolutely, but it wasn't enough for him to live on. He began to eat food, carrots and peas and peaches and everything she could get her hands on that she could easily put into the processor and turn into mush for him. He was happier with it and the fact that he was capable of sitting in the high chair so young was simply astounding to her. A month later she saw he was capable of pushing himself up onto his bottom and supporting the weight of his chest and neck and shoulders. He was even capable of reaching his hands into the air when she or Rumple came into the room to silently tell them when he wanted picked up and set down.

How fast he grew was all overwhelming, but no one could have prepared her for what came next only a month later. Syllables. She'd noticed him babbling more and more to himself, silly nonsense sounds strung together in a kind of language that only he could understand. But on the same day that he pushed himself onto all fours and began to crawl, she watched mesmerized with Rumple by her side as he crawled across the room…and reached for an electric socket. It was properly covered, they'd done that when the rolling had begun, but it hadn't stopped her from quickly launching after him and yelling "Gideon, no!"

It was then, when she scooped him off the ground and held her squirming baby in her arms saying "Gideon don't touch those," that he shouted "no!" immediately after her. Her eyes had widened as she'd looked up at Rumple, uncertain as to whether or not she'd actually heard it.

"Did he-"

"No!"

The both stared down at him in shock. His first word. Even if that word was only mimicking what she was saying...it left her breathless!

"No!" he screamed louder when he saw just how pleased they were with him.

He didn't know what he was saying. Only that they were happy and impressed with him. Soon after she began to notice more syllables that followed "no", and that they weren't random, but did, in fact, have meaning to him. "Eep" was sleep, "Ee" for eat, "wawawu" mimicked "I love you", and much to their pleasure "Pa" and "Ma" followed soon after.

They were both enamored with him, with the progress that he'd made in such a short amount of time. But she wasn't just impressed with her child, she was impressed with her family as a whole, including her husband.

Rumple was a miracle around their son, completely unrecognizable from the beast she'd once known. He smiled constantly in Gideon's presence, following him around happily, leaning down and picking him up off the floor every time he crawled somewhere he shouldn't be. And Gideon…he loved his father, clapping and reaching our eagerly to be held in his arms, a desire Rumple always obliged just as happily.

"There's our handsome man," he'd murmur against him. "There's our boy!"

He was an answer to all her prayers, the complete opposite of everything she'd been raised to expect from a husband and the father of her child. Maybe that was what made Gideon so easy to take care of, she never felt like she was raising him alone. He was always happy to take care of him, to do his part, insist on it, even when it wasn't necessary. He was always eager to take him to the shop, though they tried not to let that happen as he became more and more mobile and the shop became less and less an ideal place for a baby to be. On the days that he went all day without seeing Gideon, the moment he walked in the door he kissed her, he told her he loved her, and was always quick to help with dinner so that even though she planned the meals, she didn't feel like it was her responsibility. He helped her in every way possible. They traded jobs, sharing equally the responsibilities of parenthood. After dinner one of them did dishes and cleaned, the other stayed with Gideon, getting him ready for bed, bathing him, reading to him. Though, no matter who had what job, it was remarkable how often they all ended up in the kitchen, listening and watching each other interact with their son.

It was in the kitchen that he finally reached two of his biggest milestones. He'd been standing more and more, pulling himself up during the day and moving by taking timid steps. But at ten months old it was clear that his favorite thing to do was take small walks around the house, holding onto their fingers or hands or whatever clothes he could get his little hands on for balance as he explored.

"We're back," he'd muttered one night, coming back into the kitchen after circling the couch in the next room.

"Welcome back, Gideon!" she'd beamed at her son's efforts and squatted down, holding her arms out for him because sometimes she just wanted to hold her boy in her arms before the day was up. And sometimes, the way he turned corners, walked around the kitchen island, and went straight for her, she thought he did too. Usually, when he made it to the corner and let go of Rumple's fingers, he fell gently to the floor and crawled the rest of the way to her, or used the cabinets to keep himself upright. But that night, when Rumple released him, he looked shocked to see that he didn't fall down. She held her breath, not thinking about what was happening and automatically asked him to come to her as he always did. Then, timidly, Gideon took a step, then two, then three, then fell into her arms before she gasped and happily lifted him into the air.

"He walked!" she shouted. "Rumple, were you watching?! He walked! All by himself!

He nodded and beamed at them, staring at the two of them with so much light in his eyes that she thought he was glowing. "Pa!" Gideon shouted reaching out for Rumple.

"Pa?" he played plucking him from her arms. "Papa? Can you say 'Papa'?"

"Pa!"

"Papa? Pa…pa…"

Gideon stared at him with wide eyes and she nearly broke into tears when he copied it "Pa…pa…pa."

"Papa!"

"Pa…pa…"

"That's you! He said it!" she smiled, rubbing her husband on the back because she could see the tears in his eyes. "You're his Papa, just as much as Neal's."

He'd nodded. "That's my boy," he choked out. "Who am I?"

"Pa," Gideon responded. "Pa-pa-pa!" It was close enough to impress them and at the very least pretend that he was saying what they wanted him to be saying.

"That's it. Good boy!" Rumple had cooed rocking him and holding him tight. He truly was his boy, just as he would always be. He caught her eye and smiled at her, understanding that they both could feel the happiness before he stepped closer to her.

"Gideon. Gideon!" he exclaimed making him raise his head, proof he recognized his own name. He pulled the two fingers he'd begun to suck on out of his mouth and turned him to face her. "Gideon, who's this?" he asked gently. He'd rocked him and held him so tight that he was nearly asleep on his shoulder, his eyes heavy. Still he looked. "Who is this?" he asked again, reaching out to touch her arm.

"Ma," Gideon replied gently, making her cheeks sore just because she couldn't smile anymore.

"Mama," he corrected. "Can you say it for me? Ma…ma…"

"Ma," he copied tired.

Still she smiled half wasn't bad. "Rumple, he's tired, I don't think-"

"Ma…ma," Gideon inserted suddenly. She was quiet for a moment as she stared at her son. She didn't know he'd be able to respond to them that quickly, didn't know that even if he couldn't talk he could already understand them or would be able to call them by name less than a year later. "Ma…ma. Ma-ma-ma-ma. Ma…ma," he stated over and over again, as if reading her mind and wanting prove that he could do it.

"That's it," Rumple managed as she found herself speechless and half in tears, biting her lip in an effort to hold them back. She hadn't known it would be this important to her, hadn't known how bad she wanted to hear her son call her by name, until he'd done it. Now that he had, now that he'd said it, she secretly thought it was the most beautiful name in the world, better thn the names he called her in the dark of the night, better even that 'Belle'! "Who's that?" Rumple asked again.

"Mama," he responded automatically. This time she couldn't stop herself, tears poured out of her eyes as he reached forward and moved back into the free open arm that she offered. One arm around his back, the other around their son, and her head pressed against his shoulder as she stared at Gideon. "I'm so happy!" she admitted giving him a squeeze.

He was the best thing that had ever happened to them. His development was right where it needed to be, but they were proud that there were some firsts that were coming early to him, even if the expense was that some came late.

They'd discussed it one night after Gideon had begun to speak. After he was one, Rumple wanted to celebrate in a way they never had before. They'd waited too long already, he wanted them to leave Storybrooke. Not forever, just for a "family vacation" he called it, anywhere that she wanted to go in the world. She was nervous of course, about taking Gideon out, but if he'd survived this long there was no doubt in her mind that they would manage, no matter where they went. But not without a few necessary items first. They'd been receiving mail from the government for months, not just Gideon, but her as well. Birth Certificates and Social Security cards, she even found the time to finally get a Drivers License from the Storybrooke DMV, all those documents came late for her and Gideon as well, a sign that every curse was truly broken. For Gideon it was as simple as applying for these things, for her it was a bit more difficult given her age, but they'd managed eventually.

"Belle Collette Gold..." Rumple mused looking hers over. "You used your mother's middle name."

"Well I needed something. Rapunzel told me I could use my maiden name but given that I never really used it before and given what's happened with my father-"

"I understand," he muttered looking it over. Her father still had not reappeared in her life, not since that day she'd seen him at the grocery store. She was polite, she sent him letters trying to explain, pictures of Gideon to entice, and even invited him for dinner, but all her attempts to reach out went unanswered. For all she knew he threw them away unopened. And when her application had demanded a middle name and she'd had the option to put "French" in the space she found that she couldn't do it. If she was never to see her father again she didn't want the reminder every time she looked at her identification.

"Do you like it?" she questioned. "I always thought my mother's name was beautiful."

"Oh, it is indeed but not nearly as beautiful as your own."

She smiled. "Well...now it is my own."

"Then I suppose it is beautiful. Though to be honest...I half expected you to use Lacey." She shrieked as he gave her bottom a playful pat and gently bit at her shoulder. She would have hit his shoulder if he hadn't moved away to the kitchen table to read the bills. But they weren't done yet. She smiled as she held Gideon's papers in her hand, preparing herself for the surprise she'd arranged for him.

"Look at this," she urged when he sat down. She'd wrapped her arms around his neck and stood to his back, watching him break open the envelope and pull free their son's identification. She felt the moment he read the name in his shoulders, a small moment of stillness spread through his body so that she was certain even his heart skipped a beat.

"Gideon…Neal…Gold," he finally whispered, his voice full of emotion.

"Gideon Neal," she confirmed. She kissed his cheek and let him have a moment to take it in.

Becoming documented properly took a long time, but finally, patience had paid off. The documents were filed away, and one day when Gideon was eleven months old, Rumple brought the mail in when he came home and handed her two envelopes from the U.S. government, and they both knew it was the last of the mailings.

"Feels like Baby's First Passport," he stated handing them to her as Gideon crawled and finally waddled over to him and raised his arms, insisting on being held.

"Mother's first too," she commented as he picked him up.

They were wonderful—a small booklet with their pictures and dozens of empty pages to be filled with a different stamp for each adventure.

"And where exactly will we be going with these passports, Mrs. Gold?" Rumple inquired. Her gaze on the two booklets broke. That was a question she'd been equally dreading and awaiting all week.

"You told me to choose but…I couldn't," she admitted, thinking of all the wonderful places she wanted to go, and all the ways Gideon could be lost or hurt in those places. "So I decided to do something different."

"Which was?"

She smirked as she watched him. "Do you trust me?"

He looked her over, the look in his eyes suggesting not just confusion at such a question but a bit of nervousness as well. He held Gideon a little tighter before answering "Exclusively."

"Good. Close your eyes. Close them! No peeking!" she insisted when he refused at first. When she was sure his eyes were closed she fetched an old dress hat she'd been hiding from the closet. It was stuffed with little pieces of paper, written on each one was a different destination that they wanted to visit. She took his hand placed it at the brim of the hat and said "choose." Finally catching on he moved his hand around the dozens of little wads of paper and finally extracted one. He opened his eyes as she took it and read.

"Paris," she beamed.

"The city of lights."

"How does that sound?"

"Well, perhaps a bit adventurous for our first exploration outside Storybrooke...but certainly a sight worth seeing."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. And Gideon and I will get to go on a plane ride, won't we Gideon?!" She attempted to take her baby from Rumple, but Gideon shook his head and grabbed him tighter yelling "Papa!" and laughed as she gave up. He was just as stubborn as she was. When he decided which parent he wanted there was nothing that could tear him away.

Paris…the images she'd seen in books and on the internet filled her mind. But suddenly, as Gideon fussed to be held by Rumple she had the image of how that would go over in a plane. Was it too ambitious? He was walking and talking but still just a baby after all! And the town…though things had been quiet lately there was no reassurance they would stay quiet! What were they going to do if something happened?

"Are you alright with it?" she finally asked him. "We could choose somewhere closer to home if it makes you more comfortable."

"I said anywhere, and I meant anywhere," he insisted. "Are you?"

She nodded. For the most part, she was. They'd only be gone a week, she supposed. They knew of course, just how much could happen in that period of time but there had been many months since the Black Fairy's curse broke and peace had reigned. If he, the world's biggest pessimist saw no trouble in it, then she wouldn't either. She just had to convince herself.

"If you are, I am too!" she proclaimed.

He leaned down to kiss her until Gideon squealed and she felt a sense of courage sweep over her. They could do this.

"Then I suppose it's time to pack bags!" he proclaimed adjusting their son. "We're going to Paris."

"Not quite yet!" she interrupted looking over at Gideon. "First we have to have a special day for this big boy!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there are a lot of things that this chapter could bring into play, but I think now is actually the perfect time to discuss the kind of writing you are going to see in these chapters because Moments Beyond is different in some ways than any other Moments Fiction. The purpose of the Moments Series was always to slow everything down, to break up the Rumbelle story even in season one, and view it as smaller...moments (funny how that works). For that reason when I wrote Moments, for the most part, I always had a word count goal on each chapter, not wanting to be too long while not wanting to be too short. Each chapter, again, for the most part, represented a single moment in Belle's life and in the story at large. Welcome to Moments Beyond, where we're about to cover an entire lifetime and marriage in 43 chapters. Obviously, to accomplish this, things are going to have to be different. Moments Lost, Known and Unknown, and Exchanged all sort of have the same style of this fiction, but I'd say that this fiction is still those on steroids. While those fictions might have covered weeks in one chapter, this fiction may cover up to a year and, toward the end, years in one chapter. I did not have a word count goal for any chapter in this fiction and the result is that this fiction has both the longest chapter of the series (over 6000 words) and also the shortest (coming in well below 1000 words). While I like to think that each chapter does have a "moment" or at the very least a theme that highlights a moment to it, the framing for each of these is extensive as the time spent between chapters won't merely be a few minutes to hours, as in the past, but rather months and years. That being said, I think this chapter is a pretty poor representation of this fiction. It's not my favorite, covering the entire first year of Gideon's life quickly, it was just necessary. In 7x04 even Belle and Rumple admitting things had been quiet in Storybrooke so I didn't want to dig into any more than the Gold family getting their life on track, their son taking his first steps, Belle and Gideon getting the necessary papers to travel, and Rumple just plain enjoying himself. The interesting stuff, in my opinion, came after this chapter, but I still felt it was a necessary chapter to have.
> 
> Big, big, big thank yous are going out to Ada_asgard and Goldspinner1953 for your such a sweet comments on the first chapter and letting me know you are back to read! I'm so happy to be back, to have you reading, and I do hope this will live up to your expectations! This chapter is interesting because I love it just as much as I hate it. There's a lot of time and a lot of events happening in this chapter, events that I think are really important and make me smile, like Gideon walking and talking, and also seeing what leads Rumple to have to beg Belle to let him take her away in the next chapter, but at the same time it's all condensed in a way I didn't like, a way that is not really shared with any other chapter in this fiction. Good or bad, you decide! Peace and Happy Reading!


	3. Happy Birthday Gideon!

Of course, things were not always perfect between the two of them. They'd spent the month before Gideon's birthday planning his party as well as their trip to Paris, but what came next soon became a source of contention. It had barely been a week after they made their reservations for Paris that he'd asked her "where shall we go after Paris". Thinking he'd been joking, she'd laughed and told him that they probably should stay put for a while, but it turned out he hadn't been joking. As stressful and strained as the upcoming trip to Paris was on her, he was prepared for her to pick a new place and line up a vacation almost as soon as they'd returned from Paris.

She was against it. They couldn't be gone all the time! He insisted that a couple of weeks here and there wasn't "gone all the time" not when there was so much to see and seemed immovable on the topic. She knew they couldn't spend all their time flitting about the world. Gideon needed stability, she had the library to run, and he had the shop! And besides that, they hadn't taken Gideon anywhere yet, for all they knew it would be a terrible thing to travel with one so young and she wasn't going to plan a second trip without knowing how Gideon was going to handle the first. In the end, he'd told her he didn't understand why she was suddenly being so difficult, and she had to insist that she was putting her attention elsewhere for the time being.

Gideon's first birthday was approaching, and it became the perfect distraction. If there was one thing that she'd learned in the last year, it was that birthday parties, especially first birthday parties were a lot bigger deal in this world than she'd ever expected. Neal and Philip had had one together since Aurora had just had her second child and needed the assistance. Rumple thought it was ridiculous; he'd gone to the party at the Nolan Farm and turned his nose up at the pony rides. They boys were one, he commented, they couldn't ride yet no matter who they had for fathers. It was nearly the same at Robin's party only a month ago. In the community park outside the Mayor's Office, there had been a bounce house, and Rumple had yet again sneered at it for the same thing. Robin was one, Neal and Philip could barely walk in a straight line when the ground was solid, they were too young for a bounce house. But that hadn't stopped Cinderella's daughter from jumping up and down for nearly two hours and having the time of her life.

For those reasons, he'd forced her to reign in Gideon's party. He wanted it to be something smaller and simpler than the Charming's antics, and something more age appropriate than Zelena's had been, though she suspected it wasn't age appropriateness that contributed to the low turnout at Robin's birthday party.

Still, nervous as he was about it, she'd insisted. "It's his first birthday, Rumple; he needs a party. Next year we can all go to Greenland and celebrate if you want, but this year we need to be here for his birthday party?"

"Does that mean you've made up your mind then? After this, we go to Paris, and then you want to go to Greenland?"

She shook her head. He'd taken more from that than she'd wanted him to.

"It means that after Paris we'll see where we're at!" she'd insisted once more, shooting him a look intending to end that conversation there.

October fourteenth had arrived all too soon. She'd panicked the week leading up to Gideon's birthday because, in traditional Maine fashion, they'd had a burst of cold air just before the party and she'd worried they'd have to move it indoors. But when she woke up on the morning of the party, she found the breeze light and the sun warm. It wasn't hot enough to don bathing suits and go to the beach, but I was warm enough to have the party outside without coats, and no one would freeze.

Granny had given them permission to use the diner for his party, and she had planned to use the outside patio. Just as had happened for the parties of the other children everyone had been given a task of some kind to complete for this party, but the bulk of it rested on her shoulders. In the early morning hours, she hauled herself out of bed, kissed her husband who had promised to stay with Gideon until it was time to bring him over in the early afternoon, and met Rapunzel at Granny's to decorate. They started on the inside, hanging banners and little flags around the small room, then laying out various crafts on the tables and setting aside one for birthday presents. Gideon didn't particularly need anything, both she and Rumple spoiled him shamelessly, but she'd learned from the others that where kids were concerned the presents came in droves. Outside they both stood on ladders to hang a large flag banner that said "Happy First Birthday Gideon". They brought some of the balloons that Regina and Zelena had left inside last night out into the courtyard. Then they arranged a mat on the ground with several toys she'd had stashed in the trunk of the car and at the library for Gideon and the other babies to play with. She didn't want to admit it, but she'd done it because she knew Rumple was right, there would be very few kids over the age of two here today. But that thought didn't settle her, it only took her back a few months ago to Robin's party, the lawn all decorated and set up for dozens of children, and the bare ten who had shown up.

"Do you think people will come?" she questioned as they put away the ladders and looked over their work. "It won't be like Robin's party where the idea of Zelena scared them off, and I mean with Rumple-"

"Belle, if they are going to have an issue like that, do you want them to be here?" Rapunzel questioned calmly.

She had no choice but to shake her head. "No, I suppose not." If someone was going to come and eye her or her baby or her husband, automatically assuming the worst was not welcome at the party, but that didn't mean that she didn't want people to come and befriend Gideon. Of all the things they feared in Storybrooke, Gideon's acceptance among his friends was their greatest. Neal had taken his fair share of bullying as a child for Rumple's reputation. Even though he was working on putting that life behind him, she wasn't sure people saw it the way she did, and she didn't want Gideon's experiences to be the same as his brother's.

"Exactly," Rapunzel assured her. "Your family and friends will be the ones who come, both to wish Gideon Happy Birthday and to eat free cake."

"The cake!" she exclaimed rooting around in her purse to find her cell phone. "I forgot to remind Emma to pick it up!"

"I'm sure they'll remember."

"I can't leave it to chance," she responded, quickly sending Emma a text message to remind her.

"Okay, Belle...you need to take a breath."

"Aren't I?"

"Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Belle..."

"There's my little guy!" Rapunzel squealed before she could even turn around at her own name. Rapunzel was off in a flash, pulling Gideon out of Rumple's arms so he could set aside their typical diaper bag.

"Ant!" Gideon cried reaching his little arms around her neck and kissing her cheek. "Ant, Ant!"

"Gideon, Gideon, Gideon!" she teased back bending over so that she could playfully kiss his stomach and make him roar with laughter. He'd taken to calling Rapunzel "Ant", unable to say the "Auntie" that she kept encouraging him to call her. His language development seemed a bit slow, but Jackie had assured them that he was right on schedule with it all and she trusted her. Besides all the proof she needed was when Gideon held his hands out to her and demanded "Mama!"

She took her son from Rapunzel and bounced him in her arms, looking over the work Rumple had done to get him ready. "Okay," Rapunzel sighed as she fetched a high chair for her. "I am going to go home and take a shower before the party."

"Yeah, I suppose it's time I cleaned up too."

"Library is open, so is the apartment. You!" she suddenly exclaimed pointing to Rumple who stood just over her shoulder. "Watch her; she's a little crazy today."

She glared at her, but she only responded with a shrug.

"In a good way!" she laughed before stepping in to hug her and Gideon. "I'll see you in a bit, try not to lose your head. Bye!" she waved at Rumple as she departed. She'd been impressed with the pair of them over the last year. Though they were not friends they were certainly friendly with one another. The love and loyalty that Rapunzel had willingly given to his wife and to his son had earned her a certain degree of respect from the Dark One, a rare thing to secure. The fact that she'd easily accepted him back into her life, neither chastising their relationship or overly examining it either, had earned her his appreciation and admiration, even rarer things for him to give away. They were friendly, they said hello, he'd shaken hands with Flynn Rider, and she had even been invited into the back of the shop on several occasions. Sometimes it shocked her, most of the time it left her utterly speechless as she smiled happily at what had happened.

But with Rapunzel gone she was left alone with Rumpelstiltskin, who turned to look at her as she set Gideon down in the high chair. "A bit crazy?"

"I'm fine!" she insisted rolling her eyes. Why was this behavior fine from every other mother when their children turned one but not from her? Had Zelena and Snow been this bad and she simply hadn't seen it? And when it came to seeing things...

She glanced over at her husband before finding the place he'd left the baby bag. Gone were the days they could simply put Gideon down somewhere and watch him fall asleep, now he couldn't sit idle for long, and experience told her Rumpelstiltskin couldn't either.

"I see that camera hanging from your neck," she commented as she pulled some colorful plastic bricks from the bag. "No pictures! Not yet, I want everything to be perfect, and I need a shower before the party!" She did her best to hand him the bricks, wishing that they had the high chair from home, which had a little tray for him to play on as he sat. With these it seemed the second she handed them to him he threw them to the ground. But she smiled, knowing that this was actually a favorite game of his to play, even at home when he had the tray. "Gideon…" she knelt down to pick them up. "Keep hold of this one…and this one too!" she laughed handing them to him as he smiled her mischievously. Sometimes he was just like his father. He wouldn't be holding onto those bricks for much longer.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the wind blowing the gate to Granny's open and then-

"Rumple!" she exclaimed as the flash on his camera went off. "I said no pictures! I'm-I'm not even ready for the party! I'm a mess!"

"You look beautiful," he countered with his perfectly calm demeanor that was frankly driving her up the wall at the moment. At least he'd put the camera down; she was unlikely to end up in any more surprise photographs as long as it wasn't around his neck.

"You're going to make me regret giving you that camera," she commented checking on Gideon again. He seemed fine enough, sensing their distraction he wasn't throwing his bricks on the floor again, at least not yet. And Rumple had done a decent job getting him dressed and ready for his big day. He was a handsome boy, she felt like every day she began to see a little bit more of the man she knew he was going to become. His hair was growing out the same way that she'd noticed Rumple's had been growing out again, though while Rumple's seemed to grow lighter every day, Gideon's looked darker. His eyes had turned that lovely caramel brown, the same kind Rumple and Neal had shared. And just a month ago she'd begun to notice that some of his baby fat was falling away, making his cheeks a bit more pronounced. He'd grown so much in the last year, it was difficult that it was only a year ago she'd held him in her arms, and he'd fit perfectly. Now he was so big he was nearly the size of her own torso and Rumple kept joking he was going to be half her weight any day now.

He was one! He was ready for his party. Were the others?

Decorations taken care of, everything she and Rapunzel had planned nearly finished, that left what the others had taken responsibility for. She reached for her list sitting on the table and tried to remember all the text messages she'd gotten so far.

"Regina, Zelena got balloons," and dropped them at the diner late last night. "Emma and Hook, cake," or at least she hoped they would as soon as they got her text. As for party favors, she'd planned to have cupcakes, but she'd gotten a text first thing from Snow telling her about a change in plans. "Oh! Snow and David are bringing bubble wands? I don't know, I guess baby Neal is obsessed with them!"

"Belle!" Rumple interrupted grabbing her arm and pulling the list she was in the middle of reading away from her. He was wearing a smile, something that was fitting for making faces at Gideon as her heart continued to race.

"Yes?"

"Relax," he urged reaching for her hand. "It's a children's birthday party, as long as everyone turns up and Gideon ends up with birthday cake all over his face…it's a success."

He was right. She knew he was right. And she knew Rapunzel was right. She was acting a little crazy, far crazier than she had for the other birthday parties that they'd attended. She'd figured it was because this time the party planning had been up to her and was for her own baby unlike the child of a friend. She wanted things to be perfect for him! But also…if she was honest, she had to admit that it felt nice to have this kind of purpose again. Of course, she felt a sense of purpose every day, for the library, for Rumple, for Gideon…but she was missing the kind of purpose that included adrenaline, a special event where all was dependent upon her! She felt every bit of the pressure from that, and she loved it. Even though it made her a bit crazy.

"I know you're right," she admitted. "It's just after all these years I guess I'm used to the chaos." She hadn't had a deadline to work with or race against for quite some time, time that was getting longer and longer every day she woke up, and the sky wasn't falling. "Maybe I should get un-used to it."

"Storybrooke's certainly been quiet this past year…" he commented looking around at the still streets. "I can't even remember the last time I used the dagger." And that was also something that made today worth celebrating. But before she could comment on it she noticed Gideon reaching for something on the ground. He'd knocked his bricks over onto the ground again and was pushing himself against his high chair to reach it. And she didn't mind it one bit. In fact, she giggled as she looked over at him.

"Hey…I've got something for you," when she looked up she half expected to see Rumple talking to Gideon, but she was surprised to see that she was the one he was presenting a gift wrapped in baby blue packaging and topped with a white bow to. A present for her? On Gideon's birthday. "It's for all of us, a family thing," he quickly added handing it to her. Despite the fact that it was their son's birthday she felt herself smile as she lifted the lid off the box. The tissue paper within it flapped in the breeze revealing to her the white cover of what she instantly recognized as a book. But as she peeled back the paper and lifted it free to read the cover "Travel Book" with a rose in a bell jar, just like the one Gideon had in his room and used as a nightlight, she realized it was more than that.

"Rumple its…its beautiful, I love it!" It wasn't just a book, and it wasn't just blank. It was a photo album, a scrapbook, empty and ready to be filled with all their memories and all their adventures including, she imagined, the one for Paris they had planned in only a month. It was a perfect gift.

"It's for our travels. Belle…" he reached out and took the book from her setting it aside as he stood so he could be eye to eye with her. "You have been so patient with me, too patient, you've seen the man behind the beast when no one else could."

"Oh, Rumple…"

"A beast"…after this last year it was growing more and more difficult to ever remember just how often she'd thought of him as a beast, of all the troubles they'd caused each other. He'd promised her a year ago that Gideon would be a fresh start and he'd kept his promise. They'd had a long road ahead of them, but they were here. There was no reason to look back. Not now. Not today.

"The beast is a distant memory now."

"So let me do this for you!" he insisted rubbing her shoulders and finally taking hold of her hands. "You deserve to get what you've always wanted...to see the world." She felt a smile stretch across her face and felt herself give in to what he was saying and what he'd been insisted for a long time. Paris next month…and in the months to come…

She leaned forward and kissed him so that they both beamed.

"The Beach. We'll go there next."

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What I like about this chapter is the "Let me do this for you" comment Rumple made in the 7x04 scene. To me, that line had just enough inflection to sound as though he was begging Belle. With that I was able to imagine why he had to beg her and that led me to one of my favorite things in this chapter: their disagreements. I know, you'd think I had enough of their arguing in the other fictions but the thing about this kind of arguing was that I found it to be really fun just because of how natural it was. This wasn't an argument over how much magic was being used, about cheating spouses, murder, theft, or who's on who's side...this was just an ordinary argument. "I want us to go away more." "Well, I don't." "Please let me do this for you." So simple. I put it in here as a reminder. Yes, this fiction is about a very happy marriage, but even the happiest of marriages are not perfect. I wanted to show that even if they happy with each other that doesn't mean they're never going to have disagreements or differences of opinions again, it's just that as they get older they'll learn to talk their way through them instead of how they used to solve them in the past which was just, well, awful (and I think we're all in agreement on that). I also really liked seeing Belle have some resistance to the idea of travel, something that she would have jumped on only a year ago before Gideon. I liked seeing her get a little nervous and have to think about how Gideon will react, I liked seeing her think like a parent and it was nice to see that it really fit with the "let me do this for you" comment. I hope you'll agree.
> 
> Thank you Taisch and Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter! Happy to have you back! I'm glad to see that you are enjoying what we have so far and liking the Gideon moments as well! Trust me there are plenty more of those to come! And as far as Moe goes, it is unfortunate the state he's in for this fiction. Spoiler alert, we're not going to see him here, but the status of his relationship with Belle will be discussed frequently while the family is still in Storybrooke as I felt it would be very un-Belle like to forget about it completely. Saying I hope you'll "like" what I did with it seems wrong, but I think I can safely say I hope you'll come to understand what I did with the relationship. It seemed logical to me. Well, on to the next! Peace and Happy Reading!


	4. The Family That Travels Together

With Gideon's first birthday successfully behind them they set off. Their trip to Paris had been ambitious, but she was pleased in the end, even with the few pitfalls they'd run into. Airplanes were astounding. Though her heart had raced and she'd been so terrified she was worried she'd break Rumple's hand upon take off, once they were in the air she held Gideon in her lap and the two of them looked out the window, amazed at just how small Storybrooke and all the characters she offered really were. But as they traveled across the ocean in the dead of the night with a squealing toddler who was not yet potty trained she began to see just how ambitious it was, and so did everyone else in the first class cabin. Still, they did what they could and when they landed in Paris they had come to the conclusion that when it came to taking trips like this, far from home, with a time difference as different as night and day, it would be much better to leave Gideon at home.

"Well, we did say we wanted to travel together," she stated sadly in their hotel room. He'd gotten a suite, a wonderful expensive two bedroom suite equipped with a crib in the second room and a King size bed in their own that overlooked the city of Paris. She was so excited she could burst, despite how tired she was. But Gideon was the lucky one, deeply asleep in the next room, unaware of the unpacking going on around him as his parents did their best to stay awake through the change.

"We still will," he answered. "Gideon won't be this young forever, he'll grow and age faster than you can imagine."

"It's already faster than I could imagine," she muttered putting shirts and skirts away in the closet so that they wouldn't have to live out of suitcases for the next ten days. But the moment her back was turned she felt his hands travel from the sides of her hips around to her belly and found herself instinctively smiling as he pulled her back against his chest.

"We will enjoy this trip," he whispered in her ear as they swayed to invisible music. "We'll enjoy it and then choose other places closer to home and save places like this for romantic getaways until Gideon is old enough."

"Romantic getaways…" She considered his thoughts and then turned in his arms so she could snake her own around his neck. "Let's never stop having those…even when Gideon gets old enough. Promise me we'll always have trips for the two of us."

He smiled that same devilish grin that their son had inherited from him.

"If you'll promise that at least one of those days we won't leave the room."

That comment was enough to make her beam as well, she really should have known that he was thinking something like that, and honestly, she had no problem with it.

"Deal," she whispered before they sealed it with a kiss.

Paris, even with Gideon, had been a wonderful success. For ten days they saw everything they could, the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Arc de Triomphe, they took a boat down the Seine for lunch, stopping into quaint little shops all along the way, wishing she could buy half the store to take with her, but knowing that she couldn't, and they took pictures. They took too many for their travel book, in fact. So Rumple had bought her yet another photo album to place all that they'd taken inside of and leave one, a family photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, for their travel book.

"One of many to come," he'd commented as she pasted it in the last night. And he was right. He was right about all of it. She loved this, traveling, seeing sights, eating dinner out, using languages she'd only dreamed of using as she and her mother taught each other back in her small, quiet village. Once she got a taste for it, it was difficult to stop, and she was thrilled that Rumple had insisted they start planning more trips, more frequently. They made it home for the holidays, Thanksgiving was spent at the diner once more, Christmas with each other watching Gideon open his presents, and New Years they spent with Rapunzel and Flynn and Ayana in the library apartment, which had become a perfect place to meet each other halfway, especially when no one wanted to stay.

Come the following March she'd kept her promise and they found themselves alone along a lovely little seaside village called Cape Cod. They'd come alone for only a weekend, a romantic getaway just as promised and had easily fallen into a new habit then and there. They took one trip as a family and another as a couple. When Gideon turned two they took a trip to San Francisco to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the seels on the dock, and the aquarium. A few months later they escaped to Greece alone. Not long after that they braved the time change once more to take Gideon with them to England for ten days to see Big Ben, London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and too many others to name. They'd taken Gideon back to Storybrooke to stay with Rapunzel only to return to Scotland a month later themselves, where they stayed at a lovely B&B, and barely left their room.

At two and a half they took him to the Colorado Mountains. She'd laughed as she watched Rumple try and dress comfortably, but they'd both beamed like proud parents as they watched an instructor teach Gideon to ski. Though he was only two and a half and couldn't do much more than stand himself up, he managed to look shocked every time he moved down the mountain, and they enjoyed watching him happy. They had told a lie to get him the lesson. They'd wanted a child of three, but Gideon was bound to be three in less than five months, he was nearly potty trained, with most of his accidents coming at night, and his vocabulary…it amazed her as he'd grown how fast he'd learned to talk, faster than most children! It was hard to believe she'd ever been afraid that he was behind in his language skills! And as they'd traveled he'd made it obvious that though he had her gift for languages he had his father's gift for accents. Jackie said he was simply mimicking what he heard around him, copying how words were said, but she knew when she looked at him watching people who were speaking foreign tongues, he had an understanding for what was going on. He was learning every day, and it had been easy to convince the private instructor that he was simply a small three year old and watch him have the time of his life skiing down a small hill.

Only a couple of months later, one month before Gideon's third birthday party, they'd gone on their own private trip, the last of that year before the holidays started and they would plant themselves firmly in Storybrooke until it was over. He finally brought her to New York City. It made her nervous bringing Gideon along and so they'd gone on their own over the weekend to see the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and of course a Broadway musical. On their final day they'd found themselves far from the usual tourist spots of the city, in a residential area with a large high rises around her. Rumple had brought her and it was only once they were inside one of the buildings and she saw the mailboxes along the wall that she understood where it was he'd brought her.

"Neal," she choked out with sudden understanding.

"Bae," he confirmed, opening a large gate and taking her up the stairs. It was a small apartment, one bedroom, not much of a kitchen, a dining room that also served as the living room and a couple of windows. It was dirty, like it hadn't seen life in years but then, she supposed it hadn't. The last occupants would have been Zelena and Robin and Roland…but this place didn't resemble them. It resembled Neal; it resembled Rumple. Little knick knacks, and junky signs adorned the walls, sitting on shelves for no apparent reason other than the fact that they existed. Many looked as though Neal might have rescued them from being tossed in the dumpster. And that included the couch. It was so filthy she was glad they'd left Gideon at home for this trip and yet she wished that she'd brought him; to know his brother, even though he was never going to meet him. They weren't raising Gideon with secrets. She spoke frequently about Neal, but of course, he couldn't quite understand it, someday he would come to them for details, and they had already decided that they would give them however painful they might be, but that, they figured, was years down the road.

"I'm selling it," Rumple finally whispered. She looked back at him, he was across the room yet it was only five steps. "Neal owned it, I've been paying the upkeep on it to avoid suspicion in the building for the last few years but…the timing is right. I'll see his belongings are donated and it'll be sold, the realtor says it'll go quickly, even a…a place like this, if it's close to the city, is desirable."

"Rumple…" she breathed with tears collecting in her eyes. "Are you sure?" But even as she asked the question she could see the peace of it in his eyes. This wasn't a decision he'd made overnight or just now. He'd spoken to a realtor, she had no idea when, but obviously he'd been planning this for some time. This visit wasn't to check on things, it was his last good-bye.

"It's time," he muttered looking around. "Legally I've already had everything transferred into my name. We'll take what we want, if anything, then divide the money three ways. A third to Emma. A third to Henry. A third to Gideon." Yes, he had been thinking about this for some time. Emma wasn't his favorite person in the world but he accepted her into his life and giving a third of the money to her was fair. A third to Henry was generous and a third to Gideon…that was just noble. Families spent money on one another. She had no idea what kind of price this little apartment would fetch, but she knew that with the money Neal could get a Christmas present and a Birthday present for Gideon every year. It was enough to teach Gideon that his brother was his guardian angel, watching over him, protecting him, loving him even from a distance. He was Gideon's big brother and the more she thought of it, the more she believed that it was exactly what Neal would have wanted.

She moved forward and wrapped her arms around her husband, standing straight and ignoring the lump in her own throat when she felt him bend into her and sink his nose into the crook of her neck. Quiet as he was she felt the familiar shudder of tears and held him alone in that little room for as long as it took, until she felt stillness and peace come off of him and the grip he had at her waist loosened.

"We'll find something," she whispered. "Well find something to take with us."

"Most of it is gone," he muttered. "Robin packed up most of his personal belongings while they were here, I'm afraid I've lost most of them since then between curses and-"

"We'll find something, Rumple…" she interrupted with determination. When he scoffed, she put her hand to his cheek and made him stare at her. "We'll find something."

And so they did, just as she was confident they would. Robin had been a wonderful man but a meticulous cleaner he was not, and for Rumple and Neal, they were alike in the sense that personal items were sometimes disguised as impersonal items. In the end, it was two boxes they took back to Storybrooke. Most of them were filled with broken objects that Rumple was itching to put back together during the nights when Gideon had gone to bed. Those were valuable to Rumple and to Neal. Going through the books on the shelf was also telling. Robin had missed one, a leather bound book that bore no title. Inside were sketches. Sketches of Emma. Sketches of Rumple. Sketches of park benches, drawings of the cogs and inner workings of clocks with appropriate notes, and on the last page a boy with curly brown hair. He was looking out, off the side of the page, not even a hint of a smile on his face and she recognized that pensive look well enough. When she showed it to Rumple, he nearly dropped the lamp he'd been examining.

"He drew himself as a boy."

The drive back to Storybrooke was quiet. They spent much of it in silence holding hands as they drove North, watching the leaves changing colors, eating at a small restaurant for dinner. It was black by the time they pulled into their driveway, they moved the boxes inside and went to bed, enjoying having the house to themselves for one night and amazed at how quiet it was when Gideon wasn't there chattering away in his accents. They held each other that night, fallen into bed exhausted, and were simply content to hold one another in the center of their bed until sleep consumed them and they woke the next day still in their unending embrace.

They took the boxes to the shop. Though Rumple did want to fix the items he'd discovered at home he was certain the parts that he would need for them were in the shop and wanted to properly match them. She examined the items, not with his kind of interest but rather with a feminine interest in their beauty. He had a music box set aside and it was beautiful. She would love to take it back and put it in their bedroom, a permanent testament to her eldest son. She'd take it anyway it was but since he was so determined….

"It is a pretty music box, you think you can get it to work again?"

But before Rumple could answer, the bell in the front of the shop chimed, and Rapunzel's voice drifted back to them. "Hey! I saw your car, anyone home?!"

"In the back!" she called.

In the front of the room she heard her friend mutter "go on" and set something down on the floor. Gideon. She knew the sound his weight made in the shop and barely a second later heard his small feet running toward her voice. "Mama, mama!" he cried. She beamed long before he pushed the curtain back and saw them once more. Clean and perfect, just as Rapunzel always delivered him, there was something white clutched in his little hand.

"Hey! There's my big boy!"

She knelt down and opened her arms for him. He ran into her with a big smile and she picked him up, settling him on her hip as she smothered him with kisses. She didn't care if he was nearly half her size at three! She intended to hold him in her arms and spoil him as long as she could.

"Mama, I colored you a picture."

"Oh!" she pulled away to look at the piece of white he'd had in his hand and observed the scribbles he'd made. He had not acquired any of his family's drawing skills. "Gideon it's lovely! We'll have to hang it up in my office! Or do you want Papa, to keep it here?"

"No, you!"

"Okay," she giggled as she hugged him once more and he began to squirm so that Rumple would hold him. It was only after the transfer that she looked up to see Rapunzel leaning in the door jam with a smile on her face as she observed the family.

"I was on my way over. Was he alright?" she wondered out loud. They did have plans for them to meet that morning and Gideon to spend the time with them in the library this morning. Were they here because something had gone wrong?

"It's okay, he said he wanted to see his Dad so I figured I'd bring him over for a bit to see you both. He was great just like always, we love watching him."

"Thank you," Rumple muttered, settling Gideon against him.

"Ah…" Rapunzel pushed herself off the door frame and came a few steps closer to them. It was only then that she noticed that she was blushing. Had she ever seen her best friend blush?! "I had some of my own intentions too. I was a little too excited to see you and couldn't wait to show you…this!"

Rapunzel held out her left hand and let her fingers wiggle before her. It only took her a second to spot the dazzling diamond ring that now sat on her third finger. Her jaw dropped and she took her hand to look at it one more time, to be sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

"Flynn proposed?!" she exclaimed.

"Last night!" she confirmed. "That dinner I told you about, he's been planning it for months! That's why he was so upset you were going out of town. He wanted you there. But he just got down on one knee anyway and he proposed!"

"That's wonderful!" She moved around the table and threw her arms around her best friend. This was wonderful. They'd been dating for over three years and she figured something like this was bound to happen eventually, with Ayana graduating next year she figured it would be on his mind more. Though she was sorry she wasn't there for it, she was happy that at least it had finally happened.

"Congratulations," Rumple murmured when they broke apart.

"Oh thank you," she beamed looking down at her ring. "So…obviously, bridesmaid!" she stated suddenly reaching forward to grab her hand.

"Absolutely."

"And Flynn and I were thinking Gideon could be the ring bearer!" she stated looking across at the little boy. "He'll look like such a handsome little gentleman in his suit and tie."

"Just like his father..."

Across the table, Rapunzel let out a loud sigh and rolled her eyes. "Stop with the googly eyes while I'm in the room. Your son is here and you just got back from a romantic weekend," Rapunzel chastised. "You are supposed to get that all out of your system before you come back."

She laughed only because she don't think that she wanted to tell Rapunzel exactly what they'd seen on their trip to New York City. Romantic as it had been it certainly hadn't ended that way.

"So when exactly are you planning the wedding for?" she inquired, making her way back around the table so she could touch Rumple, do anything to simply give him the message that she knew he'd be hurting and it was alright.

"No date yet, but certainly this year. No point in waiting too long, we'd be happy to go to city hall or have Archie marry us, but my parents want a big wedding. So what do you say, will you loan me your son for one afternoon?"

She shook her head, rolling her eyes as Rapunzel gave her the saddest look she'd ever seen. "Was there ever any doubt?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler Chapter? I mean, filler chapter in the sense that this chapter really does act as a bridge to get us into a new age with Gideon and get Rapunzel into her marriage, but that being said, I feel like this fiction has a lot more filler chapters than a normal fiction would have and none of them could really be called "filler" they all do have some kind of important thing going on. In this chapter, I wanted to finally answer questions about Neal's apartment and what happened to it (since we all knew that an apartment doesn't really stay on the market in NYC that long without rent). I just decided that it was a good idea to have Rumple decide to sell it and split the profit. It seemed like a good way to say "this is still real in my head but I'm making efforts to move on." It seemed like a positive step to me.
> 
> Thank you, Goldenspinner1953, for your comments on the last chapter, it's wonderful to have you reading! You can count on more fun things coming at you soon enough! In the chapters to come we will begin the attempt to fix the major plot hole of season 7! If you've liked these chapters then I have no doubt you'll love what's coming up! Peace and Happy Reading!


	5. Stories of Different Colors

"I would have loved to have made you Maid of Honor, you know that, but Ayana...I think it's kind of expected since she's his sister and we practically live together…"

"I don't know why you keep explaining yourself," she assured Rapunzel with yet another sigh as she made herself busy with packing up her things. Wedding planning for her friend was in full swing, the countdown had begun, and in only five more months she would be married. The problem was that she'd been apologizing like this for the last five months, ever since she got engaged and explained the first explained that she and Snow would be her bridesmaids and Ayana was going to be her maid of honor. If she kept it up, the next half of her engagement would take an eternity. "It is expected, and like I've told you, I don't mind. It's been a long time since I was considered a 'maid'…in more ways than one."

Rapunzel laughed and shook her head at her joke. "I just want you do know that you are important to me and if I could have then I would have."

"I know, and it's fine. Stop apologizing and let me know when we're going to go shopping for a dress."

"Mama!" They both looked around the side of the desk as Gideon waddled around the corner carrying a stack of three children's books in his hands from the children's section. "Mama! Want!"

"Gideon…use your words," she insisted in a warning tone. He'd been doing this a lot lately. Though he could speak in full sentences for some reason he'd gone back to using only one-word demands, to screaming and crying when he should have been talking. Jackie, who had become a wonderful friend in the last few years, had assured her that it was considered normal for children to do a little regression around this age. They were growing up but wanted to hold onto being a helpless baby, and so they behaved that way. It had something to do with a deeper fear of not being loved the same. She assured them that if they were firm with him and continued to show him they loved him, it should stop. So, they were firm with him as well as reminding him every chance they got they loved him. They were trying to discourage him when he gave those one-word pleas and whines. And they were doing a little something extra today to attempt to help it.

During the day, Rumple had left the shop to see that a bed was delivered to their home. Not a crib or a toddler bed with rails, it was a big boy bed they were putting in the room down the hall from their room, away from the guest room, away from his nursery. They'd been doing their best to secretly getting that room ready for Gideon over the last week and today that bed was the last piece. They planned to show him his room tonight and talk about how he was a big boy now and being a big boy came with a big boy room. That was one of the reasons she'd sent him back to the children's section before they left. It was where he spent most of his time when he was in the library anyway, but she'd wanted him to pick out a few new bedtime stories for tonight, to make them both comfortable before he began his new adventure. Now he just had to act like the big boy she knew he was.

Gideon sighed at her command and then looked up at her with a smile. "I want this books for bed, Mama."

"Alright," she agreed easily. "You know what to do with them."

He smiled as he made his way over to Rapunzel who pulled him onto her lap. He let out a giggle as she squeezed his middle. "And what can I do for you young man?"

"I want this books."

"Oh, very fine choices, sir!" she spoke taking the books and looking through them. "But you know we have a rule that says you can only take two books from the library at a time." She smiled as Gideon's eyes went wide with fear, remembering that rule, and looking back at Rapunzel as if begging not to make the choice he would have to. "But I think we can make an exception just this once."

Gideon let out a squeal and a smile and helped Rapunzel with special "Beep machine" as he called it, that let the computer know the books were leaving, then he took his library card, which was actually her own, and scanned that as well. Then she put the ink on the stamp and let Gideon do the stamping in the back on the return card himself, because they both knew it was his favorite part.

"Gideon, when are they due back?" she asked him.

He leaned over the desk and carefully examined the stamp he'd placed there. "F-E-B," he answered.

"And what does 'Feb' mean?" she questioned back.

He paused for a moment, and she saw him think before bursting out "February! February three, two, oh, one, seven."

"That's right!" Rapunzel beamed squeezing him tight and kissing his cheek. "Go put them in your backpack!" He moved off her lap and ran to her office where he kept his bag so he could pack it. "Smart kid."

"Smarter every day," she gloated silently. Snow had wanted her to send him to preschool, but she hadn't been able to bear the idea of sending him to school so early. She knew she couldn't avoid it forever, but since it wasn't required, she'd insisted she'd teach him at home until kindergarten came along. Sure enough, she'd noticed that Gideon's knowledge vastly outweighed Neal's. She knew she shouldn't take too much pride in such a petty thing, but sometimes, like now, she couldn't help it.

"So listen, there isn't much choice for the wedding, so I've asked my mom to handle the flowers. I figured it's better than you or I going over there. Even if I saw him, I'd have to give him a piece of my mind."

"It's fine," she quickly dismissed. Though she seemed to have spoken in code, she understood what she'd said well enough. Game of Thorns was the only flower shop in Storybrooke; her father would have to provide the flowers for the wedding. And though it didn't bother her every day, the mention of it could make her upset. Rapunzel knew that. And over the years she'd taken it to heart as well.

"I really don't know how you manage after all these years to keep writing him letters and sending him pictures. I don't know how he can stay away from Gideon."

"Well," she sighed, hoisting her bag off the counter. "Love and hate make people do crazy things."

"You write him out of love, he ignores it out of hate."

"It's something like that. And it keeps my guilt at bay, makes me feel like I really am doing what I can to reconcile things."

"Hey," Rapunzel reached out and took her free hand. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. A year, I would have understood, but silence for three is him, not you. What does he expect for you to yank Gideon away from his father?"

She shrugged. "Probably something like that."

"And we both know that's insane. Rumple loves Gideon and Gideon adores Rumple. You have a family, a good family, there is no guilt in that."

She smiled at her friend, moved and touched by her words, happy that she wasn't wrong, she reached out and threw her arms around her. Her father had it wrong. Leaving Rumple would be the worst thing for her and Gideon, and until he understood that, then Gideon could live without his grandfather.

"Gideon!" she called out when she pulled away, wiping tears out of her eyes. "It's time to go, say good-bye."

As if on cue Gideon ran from the office and launched himself at Rapunzel. But she'd been around him long enough to be ready. She pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly.

"Bye Auntie!"

"Bye little man!" she smiled before putting him on the ground so that he could run to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered to her.

"Tomorrow."

Gideon was ready to race across the street to his father's shop; he only stopped when she yelled at him to stop and hold her hand. No, he wasn't in preschool, and she didn't regret that choice, but sometimes she was astounded at the energy that he had and found herself wondering if school wouldn't help with that. Clearly, she'd have to schedule a playdate with Neal or Robin or even Philip for an afternoon in the near future, and maybe they could take him to the playground before going home, let him run for an hour or so on the jungle gym before showing him his new room.

"Rumple?" she called when she got into the shop and found it looking empty.

"Papa!" Gideon exclaimed automatically running for the back room.

"In the back," Rumple called as Gideon disappeared. But as she made her way back, instead of hearing Gideon call out for his father again, as she expected, she instead heard him holler out another name.

"Henry!"

Henry? He was here? She knew he was even before she stepped back there, she could hear the low tones of his voice as he greeted Gideon cheerfully just as he always did. And when she pulled back the curtain, he was there, Gideon in his arms, Violet by his side. Rumple was standing at the table looking at a book of some kind as Henry waved at her. He seemed never to change. Years ago he seemed to have gone through his growth spurt all at once. He was slowly filling out, turning from a tall, gawky teenager to a tall, lean man, but his height! The same height that Gideon would have one day…Emma and Neal never seemed that tall to her. Whatever relative gave Henry his height was probably also responsible for Gideon's, she concluded.

"Henry? What are you doing here?" she asked as she hugged him. Of course, he was a staple in their lives, but he usually didn't drop in unexpectedly like this.

"Henry wanted to show us a story," Rumple answered for him.

"A story?"

"I found more books in the Sorcerer's Mansion," Henry declared.

She nodded. "Blank ones." They knew they were there. Why was this so startling.

"No, that's just the thing," Henry insisted setting Gideon on the ground. Violet immediately smiled and opened her arms for the small boy and Henry moved to the table and took the book Rumple was looking at. "It's a story, but not like one that I know. It's Cinderella, but different, with a bird and a father, no fairy godmother, no step-mother."

"How odd…" she muttered as she flipped through the pages of the book and looked over the pictured pages.

"Henry came to see if I had any explanation for it," Rumple informed her.

"Do you?"

"Not a good one, other than to say there are many realms, more than you can possibly imagine. Many have the same stories and then different versions of those stories."

"Even realms without magic?" Henry asked. "There is no magic in this tale."

"Yes."

But the room paused in surprise as it wasn't Rumple who had answered his question, but rather her. They all stared at her, all except Gideon who was busy showing Violet the books he'd got at the library.

"Yes," she reiterated. "I know they can. Do you…do you have a moment to walk over to the library?" Henry nodded. The three of them left Gideon with Rumpelstiltskin, much to Gideon's disappointment, and she marched the teenagers back across the street where Rapunzel made a joke about her being back so soon with friends.

"Do you need any help?"

"No! We'll only be a minute!" she called taking the kids back into the history section. She knew exactly what she was looking for, the precise book she needed. But it wasn't in the fiction section because it wasn't a fictional story she was looking for, but a real one. She pulled out a book on French history and turned the book to the page that she needed.

"When Rumple and I were in France, we toured a castle, and I heard this story. Their story…" she finally found the page and handed the book over to Henry. Violet peered over his shoulder to see. The book gave the scant story but did contain the two pictures essential to it. They were both paintings. On the one page, a man stood with his hand on a table, dressed fashionably in expensive clothes, those details were only second to the face covered that was covered in hair. Not just his chin or upper lip, his cheeks, his nose, his eyes, his forehead…all covered in long brown hair.

"His name is Petrus Gonsalvus," she explained as they looked it over. "And that…" -she leaned forward to point to the second painting which contained not just Petrus, but a beautiful young woman, standing beside him with her hand placed delicately on his shoulder- "...is his wife, Catherine.

"Petrus was taken once to the house of a French Nobleman; the people thought that he was a beast, not fully human, because of his condition, something medical which caused him to grow hair all over. But the French Nobleman believed he could be tamed. He tutored him and brought him up in the castle, and then he went through the ultimate test and was married to a gentlewoman named Catherine. She didn't see him until their wedding, but she went through with it anyway. They had a long marriage and many children. Though she was unsure about him and fearful that he was a beast when she first wed him…see her hand on his shoulder there…I looked it up, when this was painted a hand on the shoulder would have symbolized great affection. Many believe that even after a rocky start they eventually did grow to truly love each other."

"That's so romantic," Violet smiled looking over at her.

"It is. And it's real, no magic required. Many people credit them with the inspiration to this realms tale 'The Beauty and the Beast.'"

"That's your story," Henry pointed out as if expecting her to be insulted or protective. She wasn't. As a matter of fact, she could remember reaching out to hold Rumple's hand and kiss him when they'd first been told the tale, feeling as though they suddenly had a connection to people in this land long since past that they hadn't known before.

"It's not a story to me," she smiled. "Nor would it be to them. If it's real to all of us, why can't it be real in the other realms?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though there are many things I could write about here, and I do promise to get to all of those things, but I think this is the perfect time to begin the "timeline talk". Yes, I know the timeline for season 7 seemed confusing, but here's the thing: I've been keeping a calendar for this show practically from the first season. I have dates (pretty close rough estimates) for every episode and the good thing about season 7 is that when you watch it there are some things that give you a flat out date! We have a date of birth for Henry, and based on that date of birth I can put Henry's graduation (a key date in season 7) in June of 2019. I know Gideon was born in October of 2013. Using those dates I was able to chart season 7 and, although we're not quite there yet, it was ultimately the key that gave me the ability to fix the plot hole A&E left behind. At this moment we're in roughly 2016/2017, this is before Henry's senior year, before the New York trip with Violet (if you read that story), before Henry leaves. This chapter is important because it's part of the lead up to that, it's showing that Henry is continuing to grow, to explore his history, to not let this thing die. It's ultimately part of what will lead him to leave, but we've still got some time to go before we get to any of that. That being said I wanted to start the process of introducing other stories ahead of that. The story here on Petrus and Catherine is 100% true. You can go ahead and look that up for yourself if you doubt me! It's one of my favorite true tales.
> 
> Thank you to Taisch and Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter, very appreciated. I did think that, in relation to the note above, there is one private conversation I had that I'd like to make a bit public. You no doubt realized that a lot of their travels are "glossed over" at best. This is done entirely on purpose. I'm sorry for it. This story does have a plot, it has a storyline, and I have to stick to that to make it a decent story and the truth is that while their travels are fun, they have very little to do with the storyline. I know that there are several who would love in-depth chapters on Belle and Rumple walking together through Notre Dame, but I just couldn't do it because that would make this fiction twice as long as it is and those chapters would be nothing but fluffy filler chapters. They'd be nice, but they'd ultimately serve no other purpose than "being nice". So rest assured, when they go on their trips around the world they enjoy them, they eat all the food, see all the sights, have their sexy times, fun outings, romantic outings, explore the culture, see the plays, take long walks, they are doing it all. But none of it is relevant to this story. It'll have to be assumed by you, the reader. My apologies. Peace and Happy Reading!


	6. Wedded Bliss

She was glad that she'd never had a big wedding. In fact, she was happy that instead of spending months, almost a year, planning a wedding they had quickly eloped in a matter of hours. As the next few months began to fly by and she worked with Rapunzel to help her plan her wedding she was endlessly thinking of just how happy she was that she didn't have to deal with any of this.

The day of was crazy enough. It was July, a perfect time in Maine for an outdoor wedding. The weather was a bit warmer than their average mild summers but still perfect. She'd gotten up early to help Rapunzel, to go to the salon and get hair and make-up done. She and Snow had both entrusted their husbands with the boys, but she was a bit more worried as Rumple had the task of dressing Gideon in his suit, so he could bring the rings down the aisle. He'd insisted that he could do it, and she knew that he could, but she couldn't help but think of all the things that might go wrong and might potentially spoil the cheer of the day. It was stressful and busy. The dresses had to be put on at just the right time, the guests had to show up at the right time, Rapunzel was giddy and nervous and excited all at one time. But she had been right about one thing, Gideon did look just as handsome as his father in his suit, even if he was in tears by the time they arrived from wanting to take it off.

"I don't like it," he cried putting his fingers in his mouth to try and comfort himself. Rumple had called her out into the reception area when he arrived. He'd been handling his son magnificently, but Gideon wanted her, and she could see why. His face was red, mucus was running out of his nose, and tears were pouring down his cheeks, it was a meltdown like she hadn't seen for a good long while.

"But you match Mama!" she cooed, holding him in her arms and rocking him back and forth while Rumple tried to find napkins or a towel, something to begin to clean him up. The last thing they needed was the remains on her dress or his bow tie. "Gideon look!" She pulled his fingers from his mouth and touched his bow, which was the same light purple as her dress. "Look, we match! Isn't that lovely?" He only shook his head and buried his little face into her neck again and let out a cry.

"Gideon! Wow! You look so awesome buddy!"

She was happy to see Flynn appear almost out of nowhere in the reception area. She set her son down on the ground, more out of need than want. She was happy to hold him, but Rumple's predictions were right. In a couple of months, he would be four, and he was nearly already half her size. Holding him these days was getting to be more and more of a task and each time she was forced to set him down she couldn't help but wonder when it would be her last time. She would miss being able to hold him one day soon, what she wouldn't miss were these toddler meltdowns.

Flynn was exactly what they needed now. Dubbed by Snow as "the Cool Uncle" Gideon looked up to him and trusted him in a way he didn't with his parents. Though he kept his arms tight around her neck as Flynn talked to him, she saw his tears eventually start to ebb, and his chest give the deep contractions as his lungs craved air. Rumple brought the napkins, and she tried to clean him up the best she could, but when it came to the redness, they would just have to wait for it to go away.

"Hey…you want to come and hang out with me and the guys?" Flynn offered. After a few moments, Gideon nodded and walked straight into Flynn's arms, who was certainly still tall enough to lift him without a problem.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, we'll hang out in the back with the guys, get away from all these girls and their make-up. Right little man?"

"Yuck!" Gideon managed as he let out a hiccup, making all of them laugh as Flynn took him away.

"I'm sorry, he wasn't consolable," Rumple attempted to explain.

She only shook her head. "It happens. Not that often anymore, but it does happen. And now it would seem you get an hour or so off until the wedding.

He nodded and let out a relieved sigh before looking her over. "You're not doing it right."

She nearly stepped back at such a strange comment. Her hand slid over the dress she wore, checking to make sure that it was on correctly, shoes as well. It was. She felt well put together. What wasn't she doing right?

"What?"

"Well…" he carefully slid his hands around her waist and brought her closer. "You are a bridesmaid, and I'm not an expert, but I don't believe you are supposed to be more beautiful than the bride."

She felt herself blush underneath her make-up and was suddenly aware they were now the only two in the reception hall that would be filled with people soon enough. A lot had changed in their lives over the last few years, but somethings had not. Their romance was not a public one. Of course, everyone knew they were married and were beginning to see the change in her husband even if they didn't want to believe it, but he usually preferred to keep the romance side of their relationship under wraps. They weren't likely to be caught kissing excessively around Storybrooke like Emma and Killian often were. But she could see in his eyes that in the empty room they were now, he was feeling light-hearted today. She might even convince him to dance with her later tonight.

"You haven't seen the bride yet," she commented letting her hands tangle around his neck.

"I don't need to; I'm rather interested in her bridesmaid at the moment."

"It's a bit silly, isn't it? I haven't been a maid in years."

"Thankfully," he muttered before they kissed each other. They weren't likely to be caught, but that didn't mean they didn't enjoy tempting fate now and then.

The wedding was a success! She'd have to give her father credit in the next letter she sent; the flowers were gorgeous. They made a wonderful arch underneath which Rapunzel and Flynn exchanged their vows. Ayana cried, which was an emotion she hadn't seen from her in all the years she'd known her, and she and Snow were both happy to see Rapunzel's mother and father hysterical over something other than flying monkeys. Gideon was perfect when she next saw him, smiling and handsome in his suit, she smiled with pride as she watched him walk down the aisle with his little pillow, the box for the rings had been glued to it for a good reason. He did fine through most of the service, even short as it was, but eventually wandered over to her and she held his hand until it was his turn to give the rings to Flynn.

At the reception, everyone seemed to have a good time. There was a band that played, toasts to be made, and people to greet. There were smiles all around, and it resembled more of a party than a reception. She was almost to the point of wishing she'd had one when Rapunzel asked for her help to go to the bathroom and confessed she'd been so busy greeting people she hadn't had time to eat. That made her look at the reception with new eyes, and suddenly she found herself longing for the night she and Rumple had after their wedding, the quiet drink they'd shared at the cabin, and the love that had followed. And when she sat beside him, Gideon dancing with the other children, their fingers entwined on his leg as she laid her head on his shoulder, she had the distinct feeling that he was thinking the same thing she was.

She did get a dance out of him. Only one, later in the night, before Rapunzel and Flynn left, but when most of the crowd had departed to go back to their home. Gideon was playing with his friends in the corner and the two of them wrapped their arms around each other as they rocked back and forth. It wasn't the kind of dancing they liked, but it was sufficient for the evening, and enough to make her long for when they would both return home again.

Finally, the time came for Flynn and Rapunzel to depart. Along with a check for an amount that made her blush, Rumple had gifted them with a night in the cabin that they had stayed when the Black Fairy had been in town, at Rapunzel's request. Then tomorrow making their own first trip out of Storybrooke to a ski resort in Vermont for the week. They couldn't stay long, in only a few weeks Ayana would be leaving for college in New York City, the first Storybrooke graduate to go to school outside of Storybrooke! It baffled her every time she thought about it. Where had the time gone?

Gideon was sound asleep when they returned home. Though they'd left not long after Rapunzel, giving her only time enough to grab the clothes she'd come in, the reception and the fun he'd had with his friends had been too much. He'd fallen asleep in the backseat of the car and made no noises or motions when they pulled him out in the dark of the night and took him inside. Not wanting him to sleep in his suit, they'd very carefully worked together to undress his unconscious form and put fresh pajamas on him. His eyes stayed closed and his body limp in deep slumber the entire time, so much so that she was certain when they tucked him in as they always did, placed a kiss upon his forehead, and whispered "Good-night Gideon" it would have made no difference to him, but it did to them, so they'd done it anyway.

"Are you sure no one put a sleeping curse on him?" she whispered to Rumple as they closed the door to his bedroom.

"We'll find out in about three hours when he inevitably has to go to the bathroom" he answered. She chuckled as they made their way down the hall, turning off lights, and closed the door to their own darkened bedroom.

Neither made an effort to turn the light on in their room. They already knew where everything was, and they both felt exhausted. The only thing keeping her going was the knowledge that she didn't want to sleep in her make-up and jewels, beyond that she would have been all too happy to go to bed in her dress just so long as she got some sleep! So as Rumple sat down on the bed and let out a long sigh she went right to the bathroom where she removed her make-up to the best of her ability and then unpinned her hair so it fell around her shoulders and brushed it out so that the hair spray didn't make it so stiff.

When she turned off the light and went out to her dresser, she saw Rumple had yet to move from his place on the bed and smiled at him through the mirror as she slipped off her bracelet.

"Tired?" she questioned.

"More than I thought I would be. I sympathize with Gideon."

She smiled as she began working on her necklace. "It was far more party than it was wedding," she agreed. "I didn't expect that."

"Nor I. But after experiencing it I do wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

"Do you ever think about doing that? Getting married?"

She laughed as she finally managed the clasp and pulled her necklace from her neck. "You really must be tired. We've done that already, my love."

"No, not marriage exactly...but we could renew our vows, make it more of a wedding like that."

She let the smile slip from her face as she stared back into the darkened mirror. Years of marriage had fine-tuned her abilities to know when he was teasing and making jokes and when conversations became perfectly serious. This conversation had just gone into the territory of the latter. He truly wanted to know if she missed it, if she wanted a wedding, or ever thought of having one of her own. Clearly, he had no idea that she'd spent much of the day grateful she'd never done anything like what Rapunzel had. But…had he?

She turned and leaned up against the dresser, crossing her arms in the shadows. "No, I've never thought of it," she answered honestly. "Have you?"

She was fairly certain she knew the answer to that question, almost positive that he was only asking for her sake, but if he wasn't…

"Not until now."

She raised her eyebrows in shock. "Do you want to renew our vows?"

"I'm asking if you do," he shot back, a typical Rumpelstiltskin response, unwilling to give his own opinion until he knew hers. They could go back and forth like this for hours unless the right questions were asked, both afraid of disappointing the other, both unwilling to give final opinions.

"Why do you want to know? Why do you think I would?" she questioned carefully.

"I wondered…after the way things turned out the first time, if doing it might make things better."

Her smile returned, and she felt the tension leave her body as relieve spread through her. There was the man she knew. Second guessing his own decisions and willing to rewrite history if it meant creating a newer pleasanter memory. That was something she could respond to easily enough. She shuffled forward so that she was standing between his knees and leaned down only a couple of inches to kiss him into silence.

"I do not," she whispered when she was done. She let her forehead fall against his own and put her arms around his shoulders. The words required for her explanation needed to be just as delicate as her touch. "Rumple…what we put each other through those first six months we were married were…we were awful to one another. But at the end of it…I don't think I'd love you the same now, if we haven't gone through it. And renewing our vows…I think it would feel like we were erasing these past few years as well as those few months and I don't want to forget it. Painful and hurtful as it all was, it made us who we are.

"And who we are now…I feel like every morning I wake up next to you we renew our vows, every time we make love after a fight, or take Gideon to the playground, or go out to dinner, or just talk like this…we renew our vows. I don't need a ceremony in front of dozens of people or a white dress, and I never have. All I ever needed was you, and all I need now is you and Gideon. You've given me that. I don't need anything more. Do you?"

She felt him shake his head. "Never. I've never needed more than you and my children." The arms around her waist tightened, and he laid his head against her ribs while she kissed the top of his head and rubbed the back of his neck and shoulders. Her heart broke, for she knew those words were true. Children, plural. He'd given her all that she needed, but at the very root of her soul she knew that she couldn't give him all he wanted. Though Gideon was asleep soundly in the next room, she couldn't give him Neal back. But she would spend every day granting the comfort that might soothe the pain from that loss, every moment of her life was dedicated to it. It would never be enough, not truly, and yet her prayer was that it would be enough to make it bearable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good simple chapter to get Rapunzel down the aisle. There were two conversations that I felt Rumbelle would have had as they aged. I included both of those conversations in this fiction and this is the first of them. It just always made sense to me that after the events following their first wedding Rumple might suggest something like "hey we could always get married again" and I never saw it as something Belle would actually want because she'd know, first and foremost, it would make him uncomfortable and second...well, if your reading this, well then you have already heard Belle's reasons for saying "no".
> 
> Thank you so much Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter! Glad you liked the tale of Petrus and Catherine, it's a favorite of mine as well. I hope you enjoy this chapter and think that it makes sense. The second of those two conversations is coming up soon! I have a hard time saying you're going to like the next chapter because it is kind of sad, but I think you'll appreciate it for the questions that it answers. On we go, Peace and Happy Reading!


	7. Uncomfortable Bedtime Routines

As Gideon grew, she was pleased to see his life finally fall into a routine and more than a little pleased that there were things that he loved to do with each of his parents throughout his day as part of that routine. He'd never said the words, but she knew that one of Rumple's proudest moments was when Gideon had climbed up into his lap while he was spinning after dinner and asked him to teach him. She'd pretended to read her book as the pair of them had worked, but she had a feeling that her smile as she listened to their conversation betrayed her whenever Rumple looked up at her from behind the wheel.

"Papa, did you ever spin with Big Brother Neal?" he asked suddenly. That had pulled her eyes off of the page that she'd been staring at and made her watch the two of them. Just as they'd always promised themselves, Neal, or "Big Brother Neal" as Gideon called him, was no secret in their household. Gideon knew he had a Big Brother, who was significant enough that his friend Neal had been named for him and he knew his brother had died. He'd seen pictures that she herself had drawn and even a picture or two that Emma had shown him, but she was very aware of the fact that he usually spoke of Neal with her, not Rumple. She'd always thought that some knowledge within him had told him it hurt Rumple to speak of Neal more than it did her. Though she missed Neal more than she'd ever missed anyone in her life, she had always powered through it, knowing that speaking of him was far more important than not speaking of him.

So on the night they'd first sat and spun together, it was quite a shock to her to see him look up at his father and ask about his brother. She held her breath as he looked down at his boy and could see the words, painful and heartwarming all at once, catch in his throat before he swallowed and smirked at Gideon.

"I did," he finally breathed. "I taught him when he was about your age actually."

"Did he like it too?"

Her eyes began to itch, and her heart began to swell with something she'd come to recognize over the years as a treasured moment in the making, a moment that she knew she'd never forget and hold close as long as she lived.

"I'm not sure, I never asked him," Rumple responded. "Do you like it?"

Gideon turned back to the wheel and settled on Rumple's lap before reaching forward to make the wheel spin as Rumple had taught him.

"Yes, I think I do," he answered.

A smile spread wide across Rumpelstiltskin's face, and when he moved to look up at her, she immediately looked back down at her book, creating once more the illusion of privacy even though they both were aware of the fact that they'd locked eyes for a brief moment.

"Then we'll do it as long as you wish," she heard him whisper before they went back to work.

But 'as long as you wish' simply was no match for bedtime, and so they had come down to a bedtime routine. Just after dinner, Gideon and Rumple sat at the wheel as she read and they spun until the clock chimed 7:30 PM.

"Gideon, do you want Papa or me to give you a bath?" she'd ask. Every night Gideon picked one of them. Usually, it was fairly even, he chose one and then the other night after night, but on occasion, he chose one of them to do two nights in a row. Like tonight.

She'd gone upstairs to run Gideon's bath the way he liked it as he and Rumple finished up their spinning for the night when Gideon heard the chime at 7:30 he made his typical final request of his father. "Make it gold! Make it gold!" he cried as she came back down the stairs. Soon Gideon's squeals filled the air as the thread that came out of the wheel became golden.

"Okay, Gideon, it's bedtime, who do you want to take you for your bath?"

Her. Though she'd taken him last night, this was one of those rare times when he wanted her to take him yet again. He hugged and kissed his father, told him goodnight, then made him promise to come kiss him good-night when he came upstairs, even if he was already asleep. Rumple promised, and Gideon ran up the stairs and took his bath. Afterwards, when he was shiny and clean and smelled like soap she took him into his bedroom for her favorite part of the night, the thing that made Gideon most like her.

"Which story should we read tonight, Gideon?"

He went right to his shelf and pulled out an old favorite about a little boy who was sent to his grandparent's house by his mother but got lost. Along the way, the boy met a guardian angel who helped get him back on the right path. The angel turned out to be his father in the end.

"Do you want to read it or should I?" she questioned as they both lay in his bed.

"Mmm…half!" Gideon proclaimed. She smiled. "Half" was Gideon's favorite way to read a book. When they turned the page, he would pick whichever page he wanted to read and a page he wanted her to read. Usually his pages had less words and sometimes they had the pictures, but for the most part they both enjoyed reading the stories to each other. He was a better reader than she was at his age and that only made her feel incredibly proud. He wasn't even in school yet and he was already reading the same books that little Alexandra, Cinderella's daughter, checked out of the library. It left her nearly speechless as she watched it, so it was a good thing the words were provided for her.

"Again, Mama! One more time!"

"It's time for bed," she insisted after the second time. 8:30 had come, and it was time for bed.

"But it's my favorite."

"And why is that?"

"Because the boy has a Guardian Angel just like me, Mama!" he declared.

"He certainly does," she confirmed, feeling the tears threaten her eyes once more. "And who is your guardian angel?"

"Big Brother Neal."

"That's right…he's always looking after you."

"And you and Papa too, Mama?"

"That's right, my darling…all of us," she smiled leaning over to kiss his head so that he wouldn't see her cry. "Big Brother Neal" was his hero. He had only good thoughts for the brother that he'd never known and she wasn't yet ready for him to see how sad the memories could make his parents sometimes. "Now it's time for bed. We can read it again tomorrow."

The accompanied groans and begging were predictable, all part of the routine. He wanted to stay up later even though she could see how tired he was. But she refused to believe, no matter how much he told her, that his friends stayed up until mid-night and he should be allowed to as well. And in the end, he settled down into his bed, thought of his parents to light his rose, and she walked to the door to turn the light off.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Gideon?" she smiled sweetly preparing to be asked for water or to go to the bathroom one last time.

"What's a grandma and grandpa?"

It took her a moment to figure out where he'd gotten the words from, to realize just how the question connected to his day. It was from the story, the little boy searching for his grandma and grandpa.

"Those are names that people call their grandparents," she answered.

"What's a grandparent?" he asked.

Though she often was proud of just how ahead of the pack he was, she was suddenly vastly aware of the fact that at four years old children probably knew what grandparents were. She sighed as her heart began to hurt for a reason that didn't involve Neal. He could read far more than most four-year-olds, he could spin wool into thread, and count to twenty-six, but he didn't have this one simple thing. And it did hurt, maybe not Gideon, but her to know that it wasn't something that had altered his fate that would keep him from knowing his grandparents, but the stubbornness of one of them that deprived him of this simple pleasure.

"A Grandparent is…well…they're parents of parents," she said, trying to explain it the best way she knew how. "So, Ms. Snow is Emma's mother, and Emma is Henry's mother. Then that makes Ms. Snow Henry's grandmother."

"And Mr. David, his grandfather?"

"Exactly." But she didn't turn to go. Neal looked at the small stuffed bear in his hands, the one that he'd had since he was first born and turned it over and over in his fingers, thinking about something so hard she could see the wheels in his head moving. He wasn't done yet.

"So is Granny your mother?" he asked suddenly.

"Well…" sensing the conversation had gone beyond the simple door to bed communication she turned back and sat on the side of Gideon's bed. She loved their nighttime routine, but every now and again she wished Rumple could be close by, easily fetched, to help with conversations like these. She was a good parent and loved doing it but once in a while having a pro nearby would be helpful.

"Granny is like a mother to me, sometimes, but she's not my mother."

"Is she your grandmother?"

She shook her head, knowing the question he was bound to stumble upon soon enough. "No, she's not. People just call her that because she acts like a grandma to a lot of people."

"Mama…why don't I have grandparents?"

Hard questions, she'd known ever since she'd had him that he was one day bound to begin asking her hard questions. She figured she'd have a few more years before that happened. But apparently, today was the day they began.

"Well…most of your grandparents are dead, my darling. They died before you were born." Half had at least, though she was certain Rumple would make a good and convincing case for saying that three out of four before he'd been born wasn't a lie.

"Are they my guardian angels too?"

There was no relief. One hard question ran into another hard question. Her mother, she had no problem telling Gideon was his guardian but when it came to Rumple's parents…she couldn't stand the thought of even just telling him that the Black Fairy looked over their son. He was theirs now, not hers and childish as her possessive instinct was, she couldn't bear giving her even that much right to her son. Not after all she'd put him through whether or not Gideon remembered it.

"They...they might look after you…but I think…I think Big Brother Neal is the angel who watches after you."

"They can only look after one person?"

"Something like that, only in very special cases can they look after more than one, and Big Brother Neal is one of them."

"Because he looks after us and Uncle Henry, and Ms. Emma…"

"Yes, all of them," she smiled.

"So…your Mama is dead?"

Finally, one that wasn't a difficult question, so much as a difficult answer. She nodded her head.

"Yes, baby, she is. She died a long time ago, before your father and I met."

"And she's your guardian angel?"

She smiled. She'd never particularly thought of it before, whenever she thought of someone watching over her family beyond death the image that came to her mind was always Neal, but now that Gideon considered it, she supposed that wouldn't be such an awful image in her head.

"Sure," she answered. "She helps Big Brother Neal."

"Is your Papa dead too?"

The relief from the difficult questions was only temporary it seemed. Her father instantly popped back into her mind and she felt a rush of sadness mingled with anger fall over her. It was all his fault. These questions shouldn't have to be difficult, but they were. Her father's stubbornness had made them difficult. And Gideon shouldn't have to question what grandparents were. But her father's behavior was the reason he was ignorant. He was his only opportunity and he deprived him of it.

"No, Baby," she answered with a small voice.

"He's not?" The light in Gideon's eyes, the hope that she'd created there made her ache and suddenly wish that this would have been an acceptable time to lie to him, but she couldn't bear it. She didn't want to have secrets from Gideon; she just hadn't planned on sharing this particular information this soon in his life.

"No, my Papa is alive," she answered honestly.

"Where does he live? Can I meet him?"

Breathing wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to be something she had to do consciously, to remember to breathe in and out as she was, but she was certain if she didn't remind herself this moment then she'd forget or might start to cry.

"My Papa, your grandfather…he lives here in town and owns a small shop, like Papa does. He sells flowers."

"I like flowers! Does he have roses like mine? How come I've never seen him? Can he come to my birthday party?"

Each question it seemed was more difficult than the last. She'd known children had that ability, to cut like a knife without knowing they were causing pain, but Gideon wasn't that way. He was sensitive. He noticed everything which was why, try as she did, he noticed what she didn't want him to see.

"Mama, why are you crying?"

She worked hard to smile, to wipe the stray traitorous tear from her eye as she thought hard about how to answer a question about a reality she wished her son didn't live in.

"Gideon…you know that your father and I love you very much, don't you?"

Gideon nodded, the light had gone out of his eyes, and he stared up at her scared, looking almost sad himself because of her tear.

"And you know we love you so much that nothing you could ever do could make us stop loving you or not want to be around you. You know that too, right?"

Gideon nodded again.

"Well…Gideon…not all parents are like that. And your grandfather…he's very angry with your father and I-"

"Is it because of me?"

"No!" she insisted grabbing his hand and squeezing it. Children were like this, they assumed it was always their fault, or at least Gideon had a tendency to, but she couldn't live with herself for even one second let Gideon think such a thing was his fault. It wasn't his fault, it was her father's stubbornness. "No, baby, it's nothing you've done. And it's nothing your father and I have done either. But your grandfather…he is a very confused man. He's very confused about right and wrong and love and anger. That's why you've never seen him. But, I write him letters and I send him pictures of you."

"Can I write him a letter too, Mama? I know right and wrong, maybe I could teach him."

Questions about the future could be just as difficult, if not more difficult than questions of the past. She knew what was in the past, it was certain and unchanging but the future…it was ever evolving. Could there be a day in the future when Gideon wrote letters to her father, when they all sat down together, and Gideon knew his grandfather? She didn't like to say the future was ever certain, no matter how sure of it she feared she was.

"I'm sure you could help teach him that. And maybe one day when you can write, you might be able to write him a letter, my darling. But not tonight," she hypothesized carefully, leaving the future just as unknown to him as it was to her. "Now, that's enough questions for one night. It's time for bed."

She kissed his forehead and pulled the blankets up for him, just as she had a few minutes ago, then went to the door to turn off the lights and-

"Mama?"

"Yes, Gideon?" she asked, praying he would ask for a glass of water or to use the bathroom.

"Will I ever meet my Grandfather?"

Nothing in life was ever easy, especially when it came to children. Harder still was the honest answer she gave to Gideon.

"I don't know, Gideon. Truly I don't."

For the answer wasn't just one way, but two. If her father apologized tomorrow and came to her wanting to see Gideon would she let him? Would she allow him more than the pictures and letters she'd sent to him of the boy over the years? She wasn't sure. There were simply too many variables to give him any kind of solid answer.

"Go to sleep, Gideon. Your father and I love you very much. Good-night, my darling."

"Good-night, Mama."

Finally, she turned off the light and watched as his room became bathed in the light that came off of the rose in the bell jar, strong and sturdy as it had been for the last few years. Then she closed the door and resisted the urge to run downstairs and fall into her husband's arms.

He'd been working diligently on a gramophone for the last few nights just after Gideon went to bed and she was not surprised to find him sitting at his work station, lights on, examining an open panel on the side of it now. The thing was nearly put back together, and her book was on her chair waiting for her to return to their quiet evening before they retired. When she arrived downstairs, she fit her arms around his neck and kissed him just below his ear.

"Are you finished with that yet?" she muttered as he worked on, so concentrated he was nearly undistracted by her touch.

"Just about," he whispered as she let go. "Is he asleep?"

"On his way."

"You took longer than usual," he observed, glancing up at the clock. "Is everything alright?"

No, of course, it wasn't alright, not after the conversation they'd had, though when she leaned against the back of the couch and looked up to find him staring at her with sudden unusual interest, it was hard to tell if it was the clock or her face that had betrayed her.

"He asked about Papa tonight."

She had his attention. Even as he fiddled with the gramophone, she could see that his concentration was on her again. She could have sworn the temperature in the room dropped as he fought to maintain his anger. Neal was his sore spot, her father was her own, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel it.

"What did you tell him?" he inquired with controled interest.

"An abridged version of the truth," she answered, which tended to be the answer they always gave him to his questions, easy or hard. They told him what he needed to know and nothing more. "I told him my father was confused and angry with us but not over him. I can't bear the idea of Gideon being burdened over something like that."

Rumple nodded, closed the panel he was working inside of then rose from his chair and flipped some switches. To her delight, and she imagined his own as well, music began to fill the house, the perfect volume for the pair of them to hear, but not enough for it to wake Gideon or bring him downstairs. She smiled at his success. At least one of them had done all right tonight.

Rumple shut the light over his work station off, then crossed the room to where she was leaning against the couch and held out his hand for her.

"Care to dance, Mrs. Gold?" he asked with a dashing smile that always made her grin ear to ear. She could be having the worst day she'd ever had and the minute that she saw that smile it all melted away into nothing and allowed her spirit to soar so that she could place her hand in his own.

"If you're insisting, Mr. Gold."

"I am."

He led her to the center of the living room, and together they waltzed as though they were in a grand ballroom, and not dancing around furniture and the toys that Gideon had forgotten to put away. They danced until her feet hurt, her head spun, and their movements became less grand more gentle. Her head rested against his shoulder, and he held her hand to his chest as they swayed to the rhythm of whatever song came next.

"There are days I forget what you've sacrificed for us, for our family; days I forget what you've given up to be here," he finally whispered into the silence between them.

She shook her head. Trade her father for Rumple and Gideon…that was no trade at all. She picked her head up off his shoulder and looked up at him. "It's nothing, Rumple."

"Not compared to Gideon, I understand that, but it is something."

Something, yes. But something that compared to her family now, to dancing in her husband's arms, to reading with her son every night, to the adventures she'd had with Neal...it was no comparison! Give all this up for her father now? It wasn't even a choice. She would take this life over what she'd been before Rumpelstiltskin a hundred times over.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Rumple asked as the song changed again.

She shook her head. Talk to their four-year-old? About her father? "And tell him what, exactly?"

"I can tell Gideon not to bring it up."

"No…" she breathed pushing away. The thought of that made her far more uncomfortable than the entire situation did in the first place. "I don't want him to have any kind of guilt in this or think it's a secret or something that upsets me."

"But it does upset you."

"It's not Gideon that upsets me," she corrected as he held out his arms again, inviting her back into his embrace.

"I could talk to your father," he suggested a few moments later.

She snorted at the very idea. If anyone needed to talk to her father, it was her. She very much so doubted that any conversation Rumple and her father had would end well, but the fact that he would make the suggestion was heartwarming enough.

"We've had this conversation before, Rumple. He's had four years to come around. If he hasn't yet then he won't."

"So you'll just continue to send him letters and pictures."

She sighed at his accusatory tone. So he knew about that, just as Rapunzel did. It wasn't something she was trying to hide from him, but she hadn't exactly been doing it vocally either. It shouldn't have surprised her that he knew. He knew everything. Which was why he already knew what she was going to do.

"Yes, I keep sending letters and pictures. I keep raising Gideon. I keep dancing with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, let's have a good talk about Moe because I did want to explain what was going on, even further than I already have and this seems like the chapter to do it. Relationship status? There is none at the moment and that's the way it's going to stay throughout all of Moments. That being said, Belle is still writing letters, sending pictures, inviting him to dinner, etc. She's just not seeing him. I did this for a couple of reasons. The first was that I felt that by writing letters it was a good way to free Belle from her guilt about her father. In other words, she is doing everything she can without going into his shop and saying "you're being a dummy come with me." She is leaving the door wide open, constantly putting the ball in his court, but I don't ever have her go to see him because I felt the letters were more respectful. I didn't want her to go chasing after him like a naive girl, but rather I wanted her to give him the continual opportunity to involve himself with his family if he wants too. This scene, the ending with Rumple, should show that. She's not stumbling along saying "what more could I do?" because she knows there is nothing else she could do without compromising her family's dignity. In writing these letters she has freed herself, it's still hard, as it is a constant rejection, but at the same time a lot of time has passed and there is the feeling that she is coming around, growing, maturing, while her father is still stuck and hung up on this one thing and now that places all responsibility for not seeing his grandchild, on him. There is no argument to be made for "well Belle could have..." and that's the way I wanted it. In that same vein, I also wanted her to maintain some contact on some level because I felt it would be un-Belle like to shut him out completely and never contact or think about him again. She's a fighter, one who doesn't give up but also at this point in her life isn't going to waste her time. So when she has a few spare moments she writes out a letter (no so secretively) tells him what they're up to, sends their phone number, and says "why don't you come to dinner sometime, Gideon would love to meet you", then mails it and keeps that hope alive that maybe one day he'll come around. Does he read them? That's up to you to decide. Personally, enough people know that she does it that I like to think he gets the letters, tacks the pictures up somewhere in his store, and if people ask tells others that Belle writes and sends him the pictures but continues to blame Rumple for the distance (which at this point everyone in town would no longer believe). But then again, half of my job in this is thinking like Belle, so that could just be her hope and not mine. What's yours?
> 
> Big thank you to Goldenspinner1953 for the comment you left! I'm happy you enjoyed the wedding and the conversation that came afterward! I don't know if I want to say that I hope you enjoy this chapter as the content, at its heart, is truly very sad. That being said I hope it's a chapter that answers questions. I hope it's a chapter that communicates the status of things clearly. I hope it's a chapter that made you smile at least once. Peace and Happy Reading!


	8. Adventure is Waiting

Life as they knew it was about to change. There was no denying that.

With summer about to come upon them once more, she was vastly aware that when it ended things would be different and she was content to enjoy these last few weeks of the normalcy they had come to know. In less than a week, she and Rumple would be off to Spain for their fifth anniversary. It was the last trip they had planned for just the two of them for a while. A two week getaway to celebrate the first of what everyone called "the milestone years" and when they returned they had another trip to make. They'd asked Gideon where he wanted to go this summer, his last vacation for a long time and he'd only had one request. New York City. Though the prospect of it made her nervous, memories of the hustle and bustle there made her wonder if Gideon was old enough, Rumple had convinced her that he was. He had a tendency to run ahead of them in Storybrooke, but whenever they took him on trips he remained right at their sides, he'd be fine in New York and it was when they returned that their next true adventure began.

Kindergarten. She could no longer keep him at home or with her in the library.

She'd talked to Snow only weeks ago who had explained to her that she had options. Gideon was only four and would be four when school started. She could choose to hold him back another year and wait until he turned five if she thought he needed it, but as much as she wanted her baby to stay with her in the library as her baby forever, she knew sending him along this year was the right choice.

The rule in Maine was that to be eligible for kindergarten a child must be five years of age on or before October fifteenth. Gideon's birthday was October fourteen. He would be the youngest in his class and the least schooled as they'd never enrolled him in preschool or any kind of daycare like Neal and Philip, but she suspected he'd also be far ahead of the rest of his class. Preschool or not he was ready. He knew his ABC's and his 123's, as they called them. He could count to 59, write his name, knew shapes, and colors, and had one other advantage that she knew the other children wouldn't have. He was only four, and he could already read. Neal, Philip, and Robin could not read. They knew how to do almost everything Gideon did, but reading wasn't something they'd mastered or taken an interest in yet.

And there was one other reason she wanted him to go this year. Three reasons actually: Neal, Philip, and Robin. There was never any doubt those three would go to Kindergarten this year. While they were away in Spain, Rapunzel would take Gideon to Neal and Philips fifth birthday party and just before they left for New York they would attend Robin's. Gideon had never been to school, or in any kind of a classroom setting before. If she sent him to school this year, he might be the youngest, but he had the assurance of built-in friends. If they sent him next year, he'd be the oldest, and with the way he was reading she didn't want to risk him not making friends or being picked on. Sending him to school in a few months was the right thing to do, no matter how difficult and unbelievable it was to her.

So they were saying good-bye to their family trips, not permanently of course, but they would certainly no longer able to leave Storybrooke on a whim just because she wanted to see mountains or deserts or famous landmarks. They'd do their traveling over summer holidays or school breaks just like the rest of this world.

With their departure to Spain scheduled for only a few days, they found themselves dining at Granny's. Rapunzel would happily inherit all the food they had leftover in the fridge before they departed, but she was pleased to see that they were running out of it. They had a couple more things to rid themselves of at home but eating out was necessary if she didn't want to go to the store in the next few days. Gideon was happy. Granny spoiled him to no end when they dined in. When he asked for milk, it came back chocolate, and when he requested mac 'n cheese, she brought it out extra cheesy. She always seemed to have coloring pages available these days with crayons in reach so that when she saw he was getting distracted or standing on the bench, it wasn't long until Granny swooped in with some activity or other to settle him.

"Gideon eat your peas," she insisted as she picked at her broccoli.

"I don't like peas," he informed them, sulking over the last bit of his meal to be eaten before they could go.

"You asked for peas. When Granny named all the things you could have, that was what you said you wanted."

"But I don't like peas."

She sighed in frustration, eyeing up how many bites were in the little cup and how many she could get him to eat before he all out refused. "It appears that some things never change no matter what realm you live in," Rumple commented across the table.

She nodded in agreement. But fortunately, she had learned that parenting and knowing a child better than they knew themselves at this age was also one of those things that never changed. He had five bites left, if that, and she felt confident in handling that.

"Gideon, I need to see you take seven bites before I let Granny bring you dessert, you know she won't until I tell her you've eaten."

"Two bites!"

"Five."

Gideon looked at his peas, then at the piece of chocolate Granny already had cut for him that was sitting in the window and shrugged.

"Okay," he agreed, picking up his spoon.

"Good bites, Gideon," she clarified, watching him do his best to only put a single pea on his spoon. Gideon sighed and rubbed his face, but defeated he dug his spoon into the mix and she and Rumple exchanged glances and smirks, knowing full well what they'd accomplished.

"Always start the bidding high," he commented. She nodded as Gideon took his first bite.

"And always maximize the minimum." He smiled back. "By the way, I want tomorrow to be the final load of laundry before we pack, is there anything I need to wash for you?" she questioned as they got back to their dinners.

"I'll check when we get home, but I can't think of anything off the top of my-"

"Big news everyone!" Nearly everyone in the diner jumped simultaneously as Leroy flung open the door and shouted "Big news!"

She instantly felt her heart soar into her throat and beat there nervously. Storybrooke had been quiet for nearly five years, but her mind still went to the worst possible threat whenever something like this happened, and she found herself wrapping an arm around Gideon and locking eyes with Rumple. The dagger wasn't on him; he'd stored it in a safe place all these years, only removing it when they went away on vacation because he didn't trust leaving it behind while they were out of town. But the look in his eyes was nearly as fearful as his own, and she knew he was wondering if it was safe now, expecting the worst, when Leroy finally strode forward and slapped his hand down onto the first empty table in front of him.

The room was quiet; all eyes were fixed on Leroy as he looked back at them and finally uncovered his hand.

"Anton finally harvested the first batch of magic beans!"

There was a breath in the diner and people rose out of their seats to look at what it was that Leroy had put down on the table. They were hard to see because they were clear, but she was certain where his hand had once been there now lay three or four healthy magic beans. Beside her, there was a tug on her sleeve.

"Mama, what does that mean?"

"Hush Gideon," she ordered as she stared, trying to figure out what it meant.

"We can go back?!" One man questioned rising out of his seat. "Does this mean we can return home?!"

As if on cue the door to the diner opened once more, and Regina stepped in. Her eyes widened in shock for a moment as she looked around the diner where all eyes were already on her then located Leroy and the beans on the table and rolled her eyes.

"This is why!" she declared looking at him. "This is why I tell her not to tell you these things."

"Is it true?" a woman demanded.

"Can we go home?" another questioned.

"I thought we were cut off from our world by your sister!"

Those were all excellent questions along with a handful of others. She for one wanted to know where the original magic beans had come from to make the crop, as far as she knew they'd all been destroyed. She'd also like to know just how many there were. Otherwise, they might have a riot on their hands. The Apprentices Wand was safely stored in Rumple's shop, and though Zelena was willing to send people to wherever they wanted to if they asked it wasn't advertised knowledge. How many wanted to remain here in Storybrooke and how many wanted to go back home was unknown, though judging from the reactions of the diner just now, the number was greater than what she'd always assumed.

"Yes, it's true," Regina finally responded confidently. "The chasm that was formed between this world and ours was lifted after the Black Fairy cast her curse."

"Mama!"

"Gideon eat your peas!"

"But I don't like peas!"

"Gideon, listen to your mother," Rumple hissed. There had been no mention of the Black Fairy around Gideon, not since her demise and they both wanted to keep it that way.

"So we can go home?" Someone finally clarified, as if wanting to hear those very words.

"Well, obviously the beans are very rare, and there is a limited supply of them."

"Can't Anton grow more?!"

"Yes, but he doesn't want to," she answered. "He's handing the beans over to Emma and me to do what we can with them, then using one to take them back to the land of the giants in our world to make more. He's taking the magic back to where it belongs."

There was an outcry, a near riot as the people began to get out of their seats and scream at Regina. They ignored her shouts that there was plenty for everyone who wanted to go with him and they'd come up with a system so that no one would be left behind. She wanted desperately to help when Granny came by and plopped a box down on their table. Gideon's cake, wrapped up to go.

"Take him before it gets worse, out the back."

She turned and looked over her shoulder at her son and saw his hands over his ears, looking up at her with wide, fearful eyes that begged to go. Regina would be fine; they needed to take Gideon away. Rumple grabbed the cake and she hauled her boy into her arms so they could leave quietly through the bed and breakfast.

What to do next was a discussion topic that followed just about everywhere over the next few days. People on the street were overheard talking about the pros and cons of staying in Storybrooke. Granny's possessed a constant hum of stories from the other world, reliving glory days. Emma, Regina, and Snow were working on the beans, on figuring out how to hand them out fairly and how to keep the harvest safe from theft as only a day later Anton's garden had suffered another fire and about a hundred beans were stolen.

At home, their conversations revolved mostly around whether or not it was safe to go on their vacation, if it was alright for them to go to Spain and leave Gideon behind in the midst of all this.

"We could take him with us," she suggested one night after Gideon was in bed.

"Do you doubt Rapunzel's ability to take care of him suddenly?" he asked.

"No, but should she have that burden now? While all this is going on? Rumple, things have been quiet for so long…I'm worried about what will happen if we open these doors up again. There are any number of people who might take him from us to get to you. What if my father kidnaps him and takes him through a portal? Rumple, I'm serious! Those beans could be anywhere, in anyone's hands!" she yelled when he'd begun to smirk at her. They were supposed to leave the day after tomorrow. They had to make a decision. "The way I see it we either stay here with him or he goes with us."

"Belle," he smiled stepping closer to her and placing his hands on her waist.

"Don't try to convince me otherwise," she insisted stubbornly. He only pulled her closer and kissed her. For several long glorious moments, they embraced each other against the kitchen counters. Her heart suddenly pounded from something other than fear and though her skin suddenly felt hot she was aware of the calm that spread through her easily enough. When they finally separated it wasn't out of want, but out of a desire to breathe normally for a few moments.

"Gideon will be fine," he insisted. "The town has been talking but otherwise nothing has happened, and nothing will continue to happen until Regina and Emma make their decisions."

"But my father…"

"Do you truly believe he's capable? That after all these years of nothing he would try to take Gideon away?"

She knew that Rumple expected her to answer with a "no" but she couldn't do it. The truth was that she hadn't seen or heard from her father in years, she had no idea who her father was now. She didn't know what he was capable or what he thought. She didn't know if he hung up Gideon's picture or threw the letters away without opening them. She couldn't know if he poured over every detail she gave him in the letters or if he even knew Gideon's full name! And she didn't know if he still harbored ambitions of being the King he once was. Gideon would be a tempting heir to present and rallying her former Kingdom.

Rumple sighed when she didn't answer and took her hand. "Come with me." He walked her out into the living room to the table he used of his work station where he was currently repairing an old candelabra for resale. But sitting by the light was the box he'd brought it home in and she was surprised to see him pick it up and start rooting around.

"I was going to save this for after we got back, but if it'll allow us to go on our trip then it's worth it." From the bottom of the box he pulled out a brown drawstring bag the size of her hand. "Nothing is going to happen to Gideon while we're away. Rapunzel would die before she let anything happen to him and Emma and Regina would be sure he's kept safe if they ever thought he was in danger. But just in case someone does kidnap him and take him through a portal…"

He handed the bag to her. She took it carefully and at his urging looked inside of it. The bag was filled with what appeared to be Kidney Beans, only they weren't the color of Kidney Beans, they were clear with a translucent like purple running through them. She looked up at him and then back down at the beans in the pouch. She was shocked at what she saw. And she wasn't quite sure she believed it.

"Rumple…are those-"

"Magic beans, yes…" he commented. "I made a deal with someone looking to get rid of them today. A small portion of the missing hundred."

"That many! They must have cost-"

"A small fortune," he confirmed. "But I thought they'd come in handy."

"Handy…Rumple, Emma and Regina are looking for these beans, and there are dozens in this bag."

"Emma and Regina don't need to know…I'm not planning anything nefarious with them, that life is behind me."

"Then what?" she questioned. He stepped close and took the bag from her. He let some of the translucent beans spill out into his hands and shimmer in the dull light.

"Dozens of beans…dozens of adventures waiting to be had."

"Rumple."

"Belle…you have always wanted to see the world, and that's what we've been doing, but we know that there is more than one world out there. These will allow us to go there. I don't want you and Gideon to just see the world-I want you to see all of them."

Suddenly every dark thought, every sour fear, and heavy feeling lifted free from her shoulders as the potential of what she held in her hand became real. She threw her arms around her husband in triumph and kissed him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two important things with this chapter. First, the beans. I did it this way because I don't know about you, but in season one jumping from real to realm seemed like a pretty difficult thing, and yet, if it's to be believed, in season seven Rumple and Belle, even Gideon, seem to jump from realm to realm like it's the easiest thing in the world. I wanted to get the beans to them now to solve that problem a little later. Second, and probably more important, this chapter includes the reason why I could not see the Gold family becoming nomads and living out on the lamb, one vacation to the next. Gideon's schooling and Gideon's friends. Belle was raised in a very isolated setting. For the purposes of this series, she's a Princess, and that means being raised alone, with only a few friends over the years, with very little interaction with others. The more I thought about it, the more I came to the conclusion that I just couldn't see Belle wanting that kind of life for Gideon. Sure, he could travel the globe with them and make friends but at best all they'd ever hope to be is pen pals. But all the knowledge in the world would never make up for having one good friend. I think she'd want him to have friends, relationships with other children, and, while I have no doubt that she could teach him herself, I figured she'd want him to have a proper education. For that, they needed to remain in Storybrooke...until the time was right of course. What do you say? Agree? Disagree?
> 
> Thank you Taisch and Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. I'm glad you were able to find some heartwarming bits in it that were satisfying and I'm glad I'm not alone in my thoughts for what is happening between Belle and her father. The next chapter has to do with that second conversation I told you about not long ago and then we are on to focus on that plot hole that I'm going to attempt to close. Can I do it? Let's find out! Peace and Happy Reading!


	9. Parental Transitions

"Are we sure he's not too young? Four seems so young."

She let out a sigh at his musings. He'd been doing so well with the idea of Gideon starting school. They both had. Over the summer they had completed their trips to Spain and New York City, they'd had time together and time with Gideon and even in the spare moments Gideon wasn't around they'd basked in the pride they felt for their child. After their return, they'd gone school shopping for the first time. A school bag, blue was the color he'd wanted. They bought him a pencil case for his pencils and crayons. She bought him a new book, though she'd never needed an excuse for that. He had new shoes and clothes. He had everything he'd needed. Gideon seemed excited about the new adventure of school, and it helped that Neal and Philip and Robin were constantly telling him about what it would be like to all be in the same class.

But she'd begun to notice that this week, as they'd spent their last week together, Rumple was getting more and more nervous at the prospect. It hadn't been until today, the day before school started and they'd taken Gideon to the Kindergarten orientation that she felt she'd watched him go pale and prepared herself for a conversation just like this. He'd held off all day, even all night, it wasn't until he was laying in bed waiting for her to finish in the bathroom that he'd finally brought it up. And she was ready. She'd anticipated this conversation for months; she'd had to think these things through herself not long ago.

"It seems young but he's not," she assured him, shutting off the bathroom light and crawling into bed beside him.

"Are you sure it's not the opposite? He's tall for his age, maybe he seems older than he is to you."

"I'm aware of how old he is Rumple and also how tall he'll get to be," she answered calmly. Then reached over his body and turned his lamp off, forcing him to settle into the bed and hold her to his chest. "I've explained all of this to you before. He needs to be five before October fifteenth; it's a day after his birthday. He seems young because he will be the youngest in his class. We could keep him home a year, but Neal and Robin and Philip are all starting school tomorrow too. If he waits a year, he'll start without friends. He's already too tall for his age. Think about what it'll be for him if he waits a year, if he becomes the oldest in his class, and he's twice as tall as the other children. And he's already reading! He needs to start this year, Rumple!" she insisted.

Her head rose and fell against his chest as he let out a heavy sigh. "It just seems so soon," he argued, still unconvinced. "Are you sure he's ready? Are we sure we haven't made a mistake and he doesn't need a year of preschool like the others?"

She smiled with amusement. He knew just as well as she did that he was ready to go to school, his concern now was only parental; it was entirely endearing to her. Hundreds of years old and he was practically no better than David had been today at the thought of his boy going to school for the first time. Stifling her laugh she leaned over and planted a kiss on his chest then rose up on her elbow to run her fingers through his hair. It had never really regrown after he'd cut it all off, but he hadn't kept it short either, it was long enough now that she could let her fingers move through it. And she'd noticed that it was calming for him when she did it just right.

"Rumpelstiltskin, you've nothing to fear. Both Neal and Philip are six months older than Gideon. They know how to count but they can't count to 100, they know their ABC's perfectly, but Rumple, just now Gideon read almost half of his bedtime story to me! He's ready. He's growing up, Rumple. We can't stop that no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we might want to."

He placed his hand over her own then and moved it to his cheek before turning to kiss her palm. "You want to stop it too?" he questioned almost sadly.

"Of course I do," she whispered. "Years with him have passed as though they were days right before my eyes. He was a baby yesterday and now he's starting school?! Of course, I want to stop it but…I won't trade it. Keeping him with us for another year might give us one more year but it'll harm him too much and that's not fair to him. We have to do what's best for him and what's best for him is school, tomorrow. I don't want to be the one to tell him when he wakes up that he can't go to school, you saw how excited he was today."

Rumple smiled. "I never thought finding his name on a wooden cubby could make him so happy."

She let out a soft laugh and leaned down to place her forehead against his own. That was a memory she was going to hold onto, the moment her son had gone to the little wooden boxes and found names written on them. "Mama, that's me! G-I-D-E-O-N. Gideon! Mama, that one is mine!"

She smiled and then leaned in to kiss her husband. In truth she was just as nervous about it all as she was, but she knew that he had to go tomorrow because the only thing getting her through at this moment was knowing that Neal, Philip, and Robin would be there for him tomorrow.

"This is right, Rumple. We have to accept that."

She felt him nod slowly, in acceptance and she turned back to lay her head on his chest. "No matter what happens tomorrow, Rumple, twenty-four hours from now your family will all be safely under this roof with you. You have my word."

"I trust you," he conceded.

To say Gideon loved school was not language strong enough. Gideon was devoted to school. He soaked in every bit of knowledge that came his way, every ounce of information. Every day when they picked him up from school he raved about all he'd learned, explaining it all in such detail that it took nearly as long as the school day to go over it with them. He talked constantly, right up until story time, happily telling his parents all that he and his friends had done, playing in the sandbox, with the water table, on the playground, what he'd read to them, had for lunch, where they'd napped, all of it. And in turn, his parents soaked up every story he gave to them. She'd never seen Rumpelstiltskin smile so much, and her cheeks had never hurt from beaming so much!

But fate had a terrible sense of humor. And while Rumple seemed to happily accept Gideon at school with no problems whatsoever after he started, she was soon the one that began to experience a strange sadness when Gideon was dropped off and she went to the library. She and Rapunzel often commented on how quiet it was without him, they both counted down the hours until Kindergarten let out and he could come back to them and fill the library with his voice as he worked on his homework sheets.

To make matters worse, love suddenly seemed to be in the air in Storybrooke. In the months that followed Aurora found herself pregnant again. Her third child. And just before Christmas time she'd learned that Cinderella, Alexandra's mother, was also expecting another baby. It seemed an odd thing to her, to have children that were spaced out so far apart, but every morning, after she and Rumple dropped Gideon off at school and walked to their perspective businesses it became clearer to her why it would happen that way. She missed Gideon during the day, it would be easy to think that she could fill that loneliness with another baby.

"You seem lost in thought today," Rumple commented one morning in January, just after they'd dropped Gideon off for Kindergarten. The winter holiday had been a joyous occasion for her, but also a stark reminder of just how much she missed having her baby around her. To have him back in her life for only a couple of weeks and then give him up again was almost torture. Walking back to the library in the cold, her hand wrapped around Rumple's elbow, was sobering and saddening all at once.

"Just thinking I suppose. I miss Gideon when he's gone for so long."

"Well it's only a few hours," Rumple noted. "And I believe a wise woman once told me that he was growing up and there was nothing we could do to stop it."

She glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye, her smirk denying the irritation she pretended to feel at those words. "That's not fair, using my own words against me."

"I'll keep that in mind for the future."

"It's only that half the year has already come and gone. Next year he'll start first grade, he'll be gone for longer and longer. Soon he'll be wanting to go to friend's houses after school and he'll have homework that isn't as much a joke as the homework he has now is-"

"I think you have a few years before we're to that point, Sweetheart."

"I know," she commented as they walked on. "I'm just saying that...I can see why so many people decide to have more children after the first go to school. The library is so quiet without Gideon."

Rumple stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk and brought her to an abrupt halt with him. "Do you want another child?" he demanded suddenly.

She very quickly understood what had brought him to a standstill. What she'd meant as an off-hand comment he'd taken as a serious consideration. He thought this conversation was about having more children and not Gideon. But…was it?

She'd never considered after another child until these past few months, never even thought about it or thought to ask him about it until now. After what had happened with her first pregnancy, something had always told her that Gideon would be her only child. She'd never been crazy about having children before Rumple, and now she wouldn't give Gideon up for the world but…did she want more now? Did he want more children? Was he feeling what she was feeling? Was that what he wanted?

"Do you?" she questioned back.

Beside her Rumple seemed as though he was a great distance from her even though they were touching and she saw him looking around, trying to identify if others were around or listening to him. It had been a long time since they'd had "enemies", but he was still cautious about the conversations that he had in public with her, still conscious of the precious information he might let loose.

So she took his arm once more and moved him farther down the street, hoping that walking might ease him. She'd asked the question, whether she'd meant to or not, and now she found herself desperate for his answer. Did he want more children? They hadn't been trying to have children, but they also hadn't been trying not to have children, they hadn't been so focused on birth control as they used to be. They'd arguably been just as reckless as they'd been when they conceived Gideon over the last five years and suddenly she was surprised that they hadn't managed to get pregnant again. Fate, perhaps? Confirming her suspicions?

Finally, as they walked a distance from the school and the spot they'd stopped, Rumple let out a sigh. "I'm not sure, Belle," he answered looking around. "There was a time I thought I'd have a dozen children with you, maybe more, but after everything we went through with Gideon…" his voice trailed off and she felt herself begin to smile. He was feeling what she was feeling. The scars of her first pregnancy had done their worst on both of them.

"But if you wanted more children," he stated when they came to the library door, he reached out for both her hands and moved his thumb over the back and her wrists. "If you wanted more we could have more."

And so there it was, the option of another child, right there in her hands. Did she want another baby? Did she want to join Aurora and Cinderella in their pregnancies and give Gideon a little brother or sister? Attempt to fill the quiet hole Gideon's education left in her heart?

Maybe it was her old fears, the bitter aftertaste that her first pregnancy left in her mouth, but she had her answer when he mentioned he'd imagined a dozen children with her. She'd never had visions like that. Her, Rumple, Gideon, and Neal…her family, those were the only members she'd ever envisioned. Yes, she missed Gideon during the day, and was just as sad as she was surprised at how fast he was growing, but having another baby, just to fill the void he left behind, seemed wrong.

"I don't think I do," she answered feeling almost guilty for saying the words out loud. "I love Gideon, I'd go through everything we went through with him again in a heartbeat but…I think our family is fine just the way it is. Perfect even. Gideon is smart and happy and we finally have the ability to travel as we want."

"We did travel with him when he was a baby."

"Yes, but travel with a baby and Gideon…" she pointed out. It was one thing to take care of a baby in travels, but she knew it was another thing entirely to look after a baby and an older eager brother. That was bound to be a much more difficult task. And she wasn't sure she wanted to do it. And time was a factor she had to consider. Every morning she found another gray hair, the spot just by her left eye seemed to be where they all were collecting. It wasn't visible to most people, and she knew that it was simply a matter of graying, perhaps a little early, but she knew that if they wanted a baby, they'd have to do it soon or else their chance would be gone. She missed Neal, and she missed Gideon when he was at school but the idea of another child, of splitting her attention between the two…she wasn't sure that it was the right decision. But would Rumple agree?

"If you want more children, Rumple, I will give them to you. But if we can be content with our one perfect miracle then…he might very well be our legacy."

She was overjoyed to see not an ounce of heartbreak in his eyes. Simply acceptance. "And what a legacy our boy will be to leave behind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few chapters ago when Rumbelle talked about the potential of having another wedding I told you there were two conversations I imagined them having as they aged. This was the second. Not the bit about Gideon going to school! Exploring Rumple and Belle being nervous about sending their kid to kindergarten like any parents, that was just icing on the cake. No, the second discussion I imagined them having was about having more children and ya'll...I was so tempted! Seriously. I legitimately considered letting them have more kids, even after 7x04, because it really would have been super easy to add it in! Really, I had it thought through and everything! But ultimately, I remembered that the goal of this fiction was to be accurate to the story told, and while I do believe I could have gotten away with it, in the end, I decided they never had any other children, and it was no fair to get this far with the accuracy and spoil it in my 9th inning. So, this is the result, a conversation exploring all the reasons why they wouldn't have more children. I'm hoping it's too your liking and you won't dislike me for nearly giving you more Rumbelle babies and then yanking them out of your grip again.
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. It's the beginning of the second section. There were five sections total for this fiction. The Pre-School Years was the first and we're about to enter The Troublesome School Year. You guessed it. The year Gideon and the other kids would have started school is the year that Henry ended school and you know what that means, we're about to dive head first into that plot hole. The next chapter is a precursor to it, a fun little chapter that I wrote before the finale but after the 7x04 episode and I decided to keep it even after because I realized I could use it and it was just too cute to get rid of. I hope you'll like it. Peace and Happy Reading!


	10. What Became of Their Grandson

"And then Neal…and…and then Neal went up the slide and made it to the top without falling down! But I didn't get to because…because Ms. Garber caught us and said…Mama, Mama, she said...she said that the slide wasn't a toy. But Mama, we play on slides and we play with toys so then the slide is a toy just a big one!" Gideon giggled breathlessly at her side.

She didn't know whether to laugh or scold him for his story. The trouble he and Neal had gotten into today was minor; so minor it didn't even warrant a call home. It was only when she and Snow White arrived at the school to pick their boys up that the teacher had wanted to talk to the two of them about what they'd been doing that they ever found out there had been an incident. Apparently, Gideon and Neal had been taking turns seeing how could run up the school slide farthest. Obviously, the teacher had not thought that was an appropriate way to play with the slide, and she very much agreed, but even she had to admit that the amount of anger the teacher had shown for something so silly seemed a bit out of hand. They were just being children, and with the end of the term being next week, it seemed as though they'd just been letting off steam. And she'd heard about nothing but the slide since she'd brought Gideon back to the library after school. That was probably her fault, she'd laughed at the wrong place in the story, and Gideon had taken it as approval. Now, intelligent as he was, he was using logic to justify his actions. With only a week or so left until school would be out, it was time to use a little logic of her own on her boy.

"Gideon…sit here so we can talk," she patted her desk, and Gideon came over to her so she could help him jump up onto it. With him on the desk and her in her chair, they were nearly eye level, though she had noticed that more and more she was looking up at him. "You are right, the slide is a toy, but it's also a very big toy that you can get hurt on, especially if you don't play with it right. Would you take your flashlight into the bathtub?"

His smile vanished and he shook his head. "No, if I drop it in the water, then it won't work."

"Exactly," she smiled. He'd learned that the hard way with the first flashlight he'd had. "And would you play with your frisbee inside the house."

"No," he giggled. "Papa wouldn't like it if I broke something."

"And neither would I," she pointed out. "Toys are meant to be played with but if you don't play with them the right way then they might not work anymore, or you might get in trouble if something bad happens. I know the playground is fun and there are lots of toys there but the toys on the playground are bigger than you and I don't want you to get hurt. You have to play with those toys the way they were meant to be played with. Do you understand?"

Gideon nodded. "Yes, Mother."

"Good, hop down, give me a hug." She smiled when his arms came around her and she the warm feeling in her chest that told her she'd just done a good job at parenting. She was meant to be Gideon's mother, at times like these there was little doubt about that in her mind.

"Mama, are you going to tell Father?" Gideon asked suddenly pulling away from her. His eyes were sad as he looked at her and she saw the pout but recognized it for what it was. They were not strict parents, but their house was not rule-free either. Gideon had been yelled at his fair share of times for doing things he shouldn't have done, like taking his flashlight into the bathroom and jumping on the bed after he'd been told not to. Rumple was usually far more vocal than she was, but they were fortunate in that he didn't like being yelled at, and it was enough to teach him his lesson the first time around. Still, when Rumple yelled, sometimes it felt like the house shook, that was the only conclusion she could reach as to why he was worried she would tell her husband, but she wasn't about to give into his pout.

"Yes, I am. And do you know why I am."

Gideon sighed. "Because families don't keep secrets," he chanted emotionlessly.

"That's right. Your father and I don't keep secrets from each other, not even about you."

"But this wouldn't be a big secret! Only a little one!"

"But it would still be a secret," she pointed out.

"Do you think he'll be mad at me?"

She shook her head. "No, Gideon. Because I'm going to tell him after you're in bed and I'll tell him we talked about it and that you promised not to do it anymore and to be more careful."

"I do, Mama. I will."

"Good boy. Get your things; it's time to go home."

Gideon collected his backpack and the homework he'd been working on, he put the books that had been checked out of the library inside, and she grabbed her own bag. Since it was Rapunzel's day off she turned the lights out, locked the door behind her, then grabbed Gideon's hand and the pair of them set out across the street to Rumple's only for Gideon to start jumping up and down.

"Henry! Mama, Henry is there!"

The motorcycle Henry had been given as an early birthday present only a week or so ago was parked outside of the shop by their car, and she felt her stomach turn over at the oddity. Usually, Henry let them know when he was coming over.

"Uncle Henry!" Gideon exclaimed running into the shop and wrapping his arms around his legs. "Uncle Henry" had become something of a family joke. Though he was, in fact, their nephew, all of the younger kids called Henry "Uncle" even if they were the actual uncles and aunts. They had tried to explain it to them, and one day she was certain they would succeed and it would make a lovely family joke, but for now, it was simply the easiest way to go about it.

"Hey Gideon," Henry smiled, leaning down to hug him to his legs. It wasn't long ago that Henry would have picked him up and swung him in the air, but though it seemed like yesterday to her, it was years ago. And though Gideon was the youngest in his class, he was also the tallest and seemed to have the understanding that he was getting much too big to run into people's arms.

"Uncle Henry, why are you here."

"He just wanted to talk with your mother and I, Gideon," Rumple answered. "We'll only be a few minutes, why don't you go into the back and do your homework."

"I already did it," he responded.

"You have new books you can read," she suggested instead. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

Gideon looked up at Henry. "Will you say good-bye before you go?"

Henry promised he would then Gideon dashed into the back of the shop and the appropriate squeaks and groans told her he was setting up shop on the cot.

"We need to have you over for dinner soon," she laughed as she joined her husband around the counter. "Or have you babysit, Gideon loves seeing you."

"Actually that's what I'm here to talk to you about," Henry commented.

"Dinner or babysitting? Or both?"

"Actually it's kind of the lack of both in the future…" he corrected sheepishly.

She stared back at him in confusion, unsure what he was talking about or what he could be trying to say. Was this about college? Had he decided to go somewhere outside of Storybrooke for school?

"Look…I'm going to be eighteen soon-"

"Less than three months."

"Right…and I've been doing a lot of thinking about my future, what I want to do when I graduate high school…"

"College," she recalled. Not because she was insisting, only they'd just been to his graduation party! She thought all of this was sorted by now.

"Mmm…something a bit more adventurous than that," he corrected. Suddenly Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "I found this in my bedroom the night of my graduation party…" Rumple took the box in his hand, and she stood close as he opened it. Inside there was a single small magic bean.

"Henry!" she gasped. They'd yet to use their own private stash of magic beans, simply because they didn't want to draw attention to the fact that they had them. Regina and Emma had fashioned a system of getting people who wanted to go back to their realm home, Anton had been among the last of them, the one who had been harvesting them in the first place, had gone through last only a few days ago. He'd never grown anymore beans and the ones he had he'd taken back to the Enchanted Forest with him so that this world might one day be cut off from magic again and all set right. There were no more beans publicly available anymore leaving only the hundred that had been stolen, a portion of which belonged to them though Emma and Regina didn't know it. Now she wondered…Rumple hadn't given this one to him, had he?

"How-"

"Anton…" Henry answered quickly, loosening a knot in her chest. "We'd been talking a lot before he left and he must have left it for me to find. It was like a sign, well, that and a very strange call from a stranger but...I've decided what I want to do, what I really want to do. I want to leave Storybrooke and…I want to leave the Land Without Magic."

At the declaration, she glanced from Henry to her husband who seemed so unsurprised she knew that he'd told him before they came to the shop.

"You want to go back to the Enchanted Forest."

"No, not there either, people have been going there from our world ever since the first harvest, and I think I know too many people there. I want a fresh start, a chance to write my own adventure, be a character in my own story. Isn't that what college would have been about?"

"Where?"

"Anywhere!" he shrugged. "Ever since I found all those stories and you told me they were everywhere…I just want to go someplace new and have my own adventure. I'm not saying I won't go to college someday, but college will always be here. This is what I want to do first."

She stared blankly head, looking more through Henry than right at him. It was hard to believe he wanted to do such a thing! That this was the conclusion he'd come to?! He just planned to go somewhere unknown?! And then obviously he planned on coming back one day…but he had no idea where he was going. He had no idea what their world was like or what the world he might find himself in would be like either. He was talented, there was no doubt about that, she knew he was smart and that Killian had been working on teaching him to fight with a sword while Snow had taught him how to track and shoot a bow and arrow, but going somewhere and using those skills out of necessity was different than using them over family bonding! He wanted adventure, and it sounded adventurous, but it also sounded only halfway thought through.

"How did your mother take this news?"

Henry shrugged again as he took the bean back and slipped it into his pocket. "About as well as you can expect. She supports me, she always has even if she thinks what I'm about to do is a bit crazy."

Crazy?! As far as she was concerned, this was beyond crazy! This was…

She felt Rumple's arm snake around her waist and draw her closer to his side. It was as if he had sensed the panic in her and was doing his best to contain it. One look at his face and she knew that he clearly thought the same thing about all this as she did. But he wasn't fighting Henry on it. He seemed to be accepting it.

"And how did your other mother handle this news?" Rumple asked. Henry's cheeks went suddenly red, and he smirked as he looked down into the glass case. No answer came from him. "Ah…so you haven't told Emma yet."

"Not yet," he answered. "Right now the pair of you and my mom are the only ones who know. I figured I'd break it to everyone slowly. With my mom…she'll support me too, I just need the right time to let her know."

So they were the rehearsal. She knew Henry was right about Emma, but she also had a tendency to overreact, though she didn't think there was a way to overreact to this news. In a way, it was almost like Gideon who was afraid of being yelled at by his father. He chose the safe ones to tell first, then he'd tell the difficult ones.

"And when, exactly, do you plan to go through with this?"

"Not until the summer is over and I'm eighteen. I want a few more months to prepare and spend some time with everyone since I don't know how long I'll be away. Killian's been teaching me to fight with swords, and Grandpa's been teaching me to ride…they just don't know why yet."

How long he'd be away…suddenly a bigger realization dawned on her. He only had one bean. One bean meant he had a one-way ticket! When he planned to come back, without a second bean…

"How are you planning on getting home?"

Henry smiled. "I guess that's what's gonna make it an adventure."

She had to turn her head into Rumple's shoulder to keep from saying anything. She'd always considered Henry a very intelligent and even-tempered young man, sensible. This contradicted everything that she believed about him.

"Grandma..." she looked up at him from under her eyelashes. He didn't often call her "Grandma", what she'd told him so long ago had held and he usually refered to her as "Belle", but on some special occasions...he knew how to make it feel like he was twisting a knife into her heart. "I know it seems crazy and stupid but…I'm tired of writing everyone else's stories and watching from the sidelines. I want to experience what all of you have experienced."

"It's not always been as fun or fantastical as you make it sound, you know," she commented as Rumple moved his hand up and down her back. "Some of those adventures included a lot of pain and sadness, a lot of fear and loss.

She was very aware that this life she loved so much had not come without a fight that had nearly torn their family apart and cost their son his life. She prayed every night when she tucked him in that he'd never have to experience anything like what she'd gone through to get back to them and would never know the heartache that his parents had pressed upon each other before getting back to one another.

"I know," Henry stated. "But I'm ready."

She didn't think he was, but she knew that tone. It was the same tone Neal had always had when his mind was made up and his decision unwavering. Henry only had an inkling of what awaited him in this other world, but she knew that nothing she could ever say would convince him otherwise. He was going whether they liked it or not. And she could sense that Rumple liked it about as much as she did.

"Well in that case…" Rumple left her side for a moment and used his keys to unlock the far case and slide something out of it. A small black box with beads attached to it that had been sitting in the shop since Rumple had died and she'd run it. A broken compass. "Take this with you," he insisted handing it to the boy.

Henry took it from his hands, opened it and looked it over. "A compass? Not sure that it'll be much help in another realm grandpa. I can't even guarantee that there will be a north where I'm going."

"Well, that's why it's the perfect thing to take with you in your travels. This compass will only point North if you are trying to find North."

"Okay…"

"This compass points to the thing you want most. I'll be useful, especially for someone who doesn't quite know what they are looking for."

She felt relief spread through her as a smile grew on Henry's face. It was perfect. He didn't have a way to get home, but if and when the time came that he wanted to be home he'd have the means to find that way home now. She was suddenly very grateful for her husband's cleverness.

"Thanks, Grandpa."

"Make contact when you can," he ordered. "For your mothers' sakes. You know how they'll worry for you."

Henry nodded as he pocketed the compass. "I do, and I don't mean to cause anyone heartache I just…I have to find myself."

She had to swallow her tears along with her opinions. Supportive. He needed her to be supportive right now.

"Adventure is a good way to do that," she commented instead. Her own had been filled with peril and heartbreak and gut-wrenching choices, but there was little doubt that at the end of it she'd found herself. And more along the way.

She left Rumple's side to move around the counter and take his head in her hands and stare up at him. "Your father would be proud."

Henry nodded sadly. "I know. I want to keep making him proud."

"You will. We love you," she hugged him tightly, letting her tears fall onto the jacket he was wearing as he hugged her back, hard.

"I'm not leaving yet, Grandma," he chuckled. "Not until after my birthday. But I do need to go, and I'd promised I'd say good-bye to Gideon so…"

"Go on. We'll sit down before you leave and have you explain it to him later."

Henry moved around the counter to the back room, and they heard Gideon's excited scream to see him again. What were they going to tell him? How were they going to explain it to Gideon?

Beside her, Rumple who had once stood so tall and confident suddenly slouched against the counter, looking down into the glass countertop with a look she recognized as worry. It was understandable, acceptable even, in her mind. She was worried too. This was a hair-brained idea. Compulsive, even! But, she'd known ever since Henry had come back from a misadventure in New York City and broken up with his girlfriend Violet he hadn't been the same. He'd been restless this year. Compulsive. But as much as she disliked this plan, Henry had a confidence about it he had not possessed for a long while. It appeared had something to believe in. He wasn't drifting, he was determined. Crazy as it was to her, it might actually be good for him.

"He'll be fine," she promised Rumple as they got into bed that night. All through the day, she'd seen the conversation about Henry's decision weigh heavy on his shoulders. He didn't like it any more than she did. But it was going to happen. She felt it in her bones, and Henry needed them to be supportive of him in these next few months. Not angry. "He'll make something out of himself, and you'll see him again."

"Are you sure?" he whispered back after a couple of seconds.

Her feeling was unexplainable but certain. "I am very sure we will see him again someday."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Step One in filling in the plot hole: accept right off the bat that everything that happened still has to happen. I don't know how many of you watched season seven. I know before we went into it there were a fair number of people saying they weren't going to or, at that point, were only going to watch the Rumbelle episodes. That's fine. Personally, I saw all of season seven but I binge watched it in chunks to make it a bit easier. I did see it all so for those of you who chose not to watch season seven let me fill you in on the plot hole that we keep talking about. In season seven, an 18-year-old Henry takes a motorcycle, wishes Regina the best, and disappears through a portal to another world. Fine. Cool. We all good. In later episodes, it is revealed that Henry grew up in that other world, and became a hero. Henry met a girl, then got a visit from Emma, Hook, and Regina where it was revealed that Emma was pregnant because time moves differently. Great. Awesome. Still all good. Emma and Hook go back, when Henry's kid is 10 a curse is cast that brings them all back to the Land Without Magic (Seattle this time) and it's also revealed that they were sent back in time. Like, back before Henry ever left. This is where we start to get muddled. That call Henry talks about in this episode. He got it from himself. His adult self called his younger self and that's when he realizes exactly what's going on. Okay. Sure. A little muddled, but nothing I can't handle. Then we get to the big one. One thing leads to another and in the last episode Regina decides to cast a curse that leads to all the realms being united and that, ladies and gentlemen, is where our plot hole is born, or at least part of it. You see, while Henry and the rest of the gang are away (and by the way, one of this number does eventually include Rumple) time is going on, we see they are using portals to get from one world to another. But if Regina joined them all, then why do they need portals? And if they've gone back in time aren't their doubles? And if these people came back in time weren't they there to warn others of their fate? And if they don't finish out that storyline then doesn't it mean that certain characters who died at the end of that storyline wouldn't be dead? What the hell ever happened to "time travel is dangerous don't change anything in the past!"? Yes, it would mean all of that, but rest assured...I got this. It took me a bit of finessing with the timeline and I had to take a couple of liberties, but that being said, trust me! It's all going to match up just fine in the end. The first rule was accepting all that had to happen and then we focus on how Henry "gets out the door". After that...well, I hope you'll be alright with my interpretation.
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you Goldenspinner and Taisch for your reviews on the last chapter. I'm glad that you liked the talk and even though we all wish the show had incorporated more children I'm happy to see that it seems like I made the right choice where adding more children into this story was concerned. It is my sincere hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Does anyone recognize the compass that Rumple gave Henry? It's based on Captain Jack's in Pirates. Yeah, I know, we never saw him with anything like that on the show but I wanted Rumple to give him something special before he left and I wanted it to be something that might conceivably help Henry along his journey. It seemed like a good choice. And the fact that we don't see it in the show you could take as a hint of all the good times that Henry had. Where did it go? I like to think he lost it somewhere along his journey and that it probably taught him something special before it was gone. But, if you prefer, maybe it's still in his pocket. Your choice. Coming up next: part II of "how the hell is she going to make this work?" Peace and Happy Reading!


	11. Mysterious Turn of Events

Things were good. Better than good as a matter of fact. Henry had graduated, just as he'd promised, but they were all too aware that the magic bean he had was going to be used at the end of the summer and Rumple wanted to be there when he did. So they chose to go on their vacation early that year. While Henry was away with his parents on his graduation trip to London, they left for their own trip, leaving Gideon with Rapunzel, this time they'd chosen to explore Germany.

He'd made them a reservation at Neuschwanstein Castle, and upon arrival, she had to admit that she was excited to not just stay in a castle again, but this time in a castle from this world. Wired with electricity, settled in the mountains, she beamed the entire car ride, and it didn't appear that she was about to stop now! It was beautiful, truly beautiful. Watching the castle emerge in the sunset was one of those rare sights she knew she'd never forget all the days of her life. And the concept of being in the castle with her husband was romantic enough that she felt no guilt at leaving Gideon behind with Rapunzel and Flynn. Some of their trips he adored, others, like this one, when she looked at their itinerary, she was certain he'd be bored. Things were good. But perhaps that was what should have scared her the most. She'd once told him that it was when things were good that she'd been conditioned to expect the worst. Over the years, all the good that came at them, she'd had a bit of a change of heart, stopped expecting things to go wrong at every turn. That was probably where they'd made their mistake.

In the early morning hours, she felt herself jolted awake by a sound she was very unaccustomed to waking to—her cell phone ringing. Rumple, ever vigilant and far better at early hours than she was, was the first one who was quick enough to get out of bed and identify the noise, retrieving the small device for her while she was still trying to remember where she was and why the bed wasn't familiar. She felt her heart stop when she turned her head to see him retrieve it. He glanced at the screen and stopped in place looking concerned.

"Rumple…" she prompted. Suddenly all her senses were alive and functioning beyond expectation.

He glanced up at her, that same look of worry in his eyes before he took a couple of steps closer to her and handed it over. "It's Rapunzel."

Instantly she knew what panicked him. They always left Gideon with Rapunzel, but she rarely called them when they were away, in fact, they often had a joke that when they went away, they assumed no news was good news. It wasn't that they didn't want to hear from their son, just that they were looking forward to some time alone and knew he'd be well taken care of; with Rapunzel and Flynn, they knew he'd hardly miss them. Usually, when they left the last thing Rapunzel promised them was she'd call if something went wrong.

This early in the morning, this late in Storybrooke…it was her worst fears made real.

"Rapunzel?"

"Belle!" she breathed on the other end, sounding tired. "You and Rumple need to come home now."

Her heart stilled. "Gideon-"

"No! No, he's…he's fine, he's upstairs with Flynn reading a book but…there's something going on, I can't explain it all yet, we're still putting pieces together, but…you need to be here as soon as you can."

She'd needed nothing more. Rapunzel never called and never asked them to come home early, she knew it was serious and sent Rumple off to make arrangements for their departure. Of course, Rapunzel had never been one for dramatics. She didn't make them wait for the entire flight home to tell them the little she knew about what was going on. The problem was she wasn't entirely sure she believed it, not until she arrived home and got to Granny's.

There was a yellow truck that she'd never seen before sitting outside the restaurant, the one that had played prominently in Rapunzel's story. And inside the diner she saw there was Gideon, sitting at a table with Robin and Neal, coloring quietly until they stepped in the door.

"Mama!" Gideon cried launching himself at them. She knelt down to catch her boy in her arms. Despite Rapunzel's reassurance that he was fine and the fact that the story he'd told didn't involve him in the slightest hadn't made her worry for him on their journey home, but it was still good to hold him tight in times like this. And when it was Rumple's turn, she looked around at the faces before her. The dwarves, Granny, Archie, Rapunzel, Flynn. All but a very few important individuals were there. That was the problem.

Behind them, the bell to the diner fluttered again and they moved aside to see Henry, Emma, Regina, and Hook came in. In a similar fashion, they took a look around the room and Emma's eyes landed on Neal sitting with Robin who was no longer coloring but had gotten out of her chair and gone to Regina.

"Neal!" Emma breathed going to him and looking him over. "Are you okay? Is everything okay?"

The boy nodded but she could see the sadness in his eyes and the worry in Emma's wasn't helping.

"Flynn, maybe you could take the kids to Granny's and get them some hot chocolate?" she suggested.

Flynn smiled. "It would be my pleasure." He gathered Neal, Robin, and finally Gideon up and escorted them out the back and down the hall to the Bed and Breakfast.

"What happened?" Emma demanded the moment they were out of sight.

"We aren't sure," Archie answered sadly. He looked nearly as distant as Neal had. He looked like he'd failed his best friend. If Rapunzel's story was true, he just might have.

"It was a normal morning, a quiet morning just like it has been for years," Granny commented with her arms crossed in front of her. "The dwarves were heading for the mines, Leroy had just picked up their lunch when-"

"That monster of a truck nearly ran me over!" he growled, motioning to the truck outside. So that was the one then.

"The one outside?" Hook questioned looking over his shoulder. Leroy nodded. "I'll go have a look," he muttered in Emma's ear. She nodded but looked back at Granny, expecting to hear more to the story. Her face was tight with concern, her jaw clenched, ready to solve the mystery just as they always had. The problem was that was years ago.

"So, what happened?" she urged. "The truck nearly crashed into Leroy, then what?"

"Two girls got out, strangers, never seen them before in my life. They said that Henry was in trouble, that his wife and daughter were in trouble, they were rambling it was hard to understand and it was obviously a lie."

"Obviously," Regina huffed. "Unless there is something you're not telling me about Violet."

"No!" Henry exclaimed. "We broke up last year, I haven't seen her for over a month, I'm as confused as you are."

"That's as confused as we were," Leroy answered. "We recognized them for what they were. Troublemakers, intruders, we ran them off! It wasn't until last night when Granny got the call from Ashley that we realized they weren't as run off as we thought. Or if they are there is something very strange going on in Storybrooke."

"Ashley?" Regina questioned taking a seat in one of the booths. "Why was she the one to raise the alarm?"

"Apparently yesterday, after the visitors arrive, Zelena and the Charmings dropped Neal and Robin off at daycare."

"Daycare?" she questioned. She knew Robin often attended daycare now that Zelena was trying to open a boutique in town but Neal…?! "Neal goes to daycare?" she asked looking at Emma.

"No, not normally. Usually, Dad takes care of him on the farm or he drops him off at the station with me."

"Well, not this time," Granny interrupted. "Apparently they dropped them both off and told the kids they'd be back soon. Ashley called when they didn't turn up and said she couldn't keep them over night. I took them while Leroy started to investigate."

"We searched everywhere," Archie added. "The woods, the school, the town, all the shops, we checked all the usual and unusual places but there's no trace of Zelena or the Charmings. It's like they just vanished."

"We talked to Robin," Granny added. "She mentioned that two people stopped to talk to her mother before they left and Ashley confirmed they were waiting outside when they dropped the kids off. There's been no sign of any of them since then. They're just gone…"

Her head was spinning and she had to reach for Rumple's hand to keep herself upright. Gone. Things like this happened years ago, but lately, Granny was right, things around Storybrooke had been quiet and calm. And even when this kind of thing had happened, there were always clues, always some hint as to where they might have vanished to, but to have nothing? Not a call of distress, not a portal sighting, not a name, not a ransom, that was odd. There was just a truck.

She didn't even know where to begin.

The bell over Granny's door ran once more and Hook walked back in. "It's a food truck," he declared. "Some kind of foreign cuisine. Here…registration was in the glove box and this is the license plate number, tags are from a place called Washington, have you heard of it."

"Yeah," Emma sighed taking it from him and looking it over. "It's a state on the west coast. That thing drove all across the country?"

"One of the girls, they mentioned something about Seattle."

"Okay…that's a start," Emma sighed again. "Gold, think you can whip up some kind of tracking potion, anything to give us a hint about who they were or where they've gone."

"I can try."

"Alright, we'll search the town again, I'll run the numbers. We'll figure it out. Just like always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Step Two: Get the departure schedule just right and use it for all it's worth. Once you've determined that everything that happened in season 7 does have to happen there are some things that they give you right off the bat. We know from the early episodes that Henry leaves Storybrooke. We also know that only Regina is with him when he does (huh, kinda strange the whole family wasn't there). That being said, when Alice and Robin go through the portal and arrive in Storybrooke to get help for Henry, we're told that Henry is away on a graduation trip with his parents. Ergo, the Charmings and Zelena go to help before Henry leaves but after graduation. The departure of Emma, Regina, and Hook is a little bit more complex because one stays and two return, and then the ultimate big return is less complex, but trust me, I've got an answer for all of it and it's coming at you in the next chapter!
> 
> Palizinha, Taisch, and Goldenspinner, thank you so much for your comments on the last chapter. The deeper we get into this the more I want to make sure everyone is with me and I'm happy to see that you are. If you can stay with me through the next few chapters then trust me things are going to be clear and you will most certainly get a really happy moment that I think ya'll have been waiting a long time for in just a few chapters! So, are you still with me? Peace and Happy Reading!


	12. The Plot Thickens

But then they didn't figure it out.

It was the oddest sensation she'd ever had. They'd never been bested before by any villain she'd ever known. They'd come close of course, and sometimes, as it had with Zelena, they'd come down to the wire, but to go so long and wind up nowhere, without any developments or clues was disappointing.

In the first days since Snow, David, and Zelena had disappeared Rumple had worked hard on spells and potions that might find them, but everything he tried failed. Not even the globe he kept in his store could help as no one recognized the terrain of the world they'd apparently gone to, bits and pieces sometimes looked familiar, like it might be the Enchanted Forest, but it was fuzzy and hazy, the map not filled in correctly. The only thing it was good for was telling them that their friends, where ever they were, were not in this world.

Emma and Hook had the most luck in those days. They were able to track the food truck to a place in Washington called Hyperion Heights to a woman named Sabine. They boarded a flight to talk to her and only a day later returned to Storybrooke with two new strangers who happily explained what they knew to them at Granny's. Sabine, as it turned out, called herself Tiana, Queen Tiana, and her boyfriend was named Naveen. They provided the answers they could, but it only served to make the entire situation more stressful and confusing, even for themselves. The pair stared at Henry; they looked him up and down as though they had seen a ghost and Henry seemed uncomfortable enough with it that he dismissed himself to go check on the kids, once again entertaining themselves with a puzzle on Granny's dining room table. None of them heard the explanation.

Tiana and Naveen explained that their stories were similiar. They had been cursed and were from a faraway land. Who had cursed them was a complex tale, but they knew Henry Mills. Only...the Henry Mills they knew was older, he was married, he had a daughter, just as those two women had said. And as for those two women, the ones who had taken her food truck, she had answers for that as well. Alice, Hook's daughter, and Robin, Zelena's daughter...older, of course.

"Don't look at me, I've never had a child," Hook snapped back as everyone turned to stare at him in shock.

"Can you be sure about that? You've spent your fair share of time around-"

"Rumple!" she snapped before he said something that he'd regret.

But the comments only caused the woman to stare longer at them. "Well, it's not exactly you, Hook, it's your, well…Weaver you know! You work together! You just helped him save Alice! You understand it better than anyone," Sabine argued staring suddenly at Rumple.

Her stomach tightened, and she looked over her shoulder at her husband as she realized that it was him she'd addressed. Weaver? Not Spinner? Rumple looked just as clueless as she was, and it chased all the nerves from her body. He wasn't hiding anything from her.

"Rumple and I have been married for years, he's never left my side for more than a few hours at a time," she insisted. "He hasn't been to Washington without me, no one here has that I know of."

"Married?! He was in Hyperion Heights! He's a cop, a bachelor!" Tiana insisted. "Detective Weaver-"

"Detective?!"

"He's my husband," she spoke winding her arm through his own. "I think I'd notice if he'd left or if he was doing anything other than running a pawn shop."

"A pawn shop? The Dark One?! No, this is a mistake of some kind, it can't be that-"

"Tia! Tia!" Naveen finally interrupted. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Talk to us all," Regina insisted.

"No," he responded. Naveen glanced up at her and Tiana opened her mouth but she could see the pressure he applied quickly to Tiana's shoulders. Instantly she went silent. "Come on, let's talk outside."

No one stopped them as they moved around them and out the door though Emma did glance out the window, making sure, she supposed they didn't go far. They were all speechless. It was the most confusing thing. Tiana had some information but clearly not all of it. They knew he was the Dark One but not that he was a pawnbroker and not a detective? And Rumple's magic was capable of a lot, but she felt sure that she'd noticed if he was in Seattle for an extended period of time.

"Emma, what's going on? What are they talking about?" she questioned.

"I don't know. They seem to be just as confused as we are. It's been like this since we met them, all they say just sounds like gibberish. Even their actions...they recognized Hook, even hugged him, but he says he's never met them. They prattled on and on about things he'd done and was doing."

"But I've been here the entire time."

"What do they have to be confused about?" Leroy asked. "Didn't the truck come from them."

"It's hard to say if it was stolen or if she let them take it! I can't get a straight answer! Talking to them is like reading a chapter from another story."

"Or one that hasn't happened yet...Belle," His voice was a whisper in her ear next to the rambling of the room, but it was desperate enough that it hushed the other noises and made her give him her full attention. To the others, he remained as calm and cool as ever, but she could see how nervous he'd suddenly become. "We should leave."

"What? Why?"

"Because if what I think is happening already has then we shouldn't be here to listen."

She had no words for a statement like that. "If what he thought was happening had." What was that supposed to mean? What did he think was happening? Had happened?

But before she could urge him to tell her more or explain what he thought was going on the bell chimed again and she stood aside for Tiana and Naveen.

"We've decided we can't tell you much more."

There was a resounding "what" and shouts of anger, other questions that flew at the pair but she heard only the comment Rumple made quietly behind her. "That's for the best."

"Look, look!" Tiana shouted, gathering their attention once more. "Not long ago, when the curse on Hyperion Heights broke, we asked Henry why he wasn't coming back to see his family in Storybrooke, and he told us it was because he wasn't gone yet. We didn't understand at the time, but now we do. The curse brought us back in time and-"

"Then you mustn't say another word," Rumple growled behind her. Suddenly she was catching on, understanding. They knew Henry but not their Henry. They knew Rumple, but only in the distant future, where they'd been cursed again, and he wasn't a pawnshop broker, he was a detective! And single? She shifted her wedding ring beneath her thumb as her mind spun as she began to sort it all out. The was like that time years ago that Emma and Hook had gone through Zelena's time portal and he'd been worried about where or when they'd ended up because if it was in the past…it could change their future. It was opposite now. They were the past now, at least according to these people. And that meant…

"What?!" Regina snapped in Rumple's direction.

"Gold! They might know where my parents are!" Emma shouted.

"This is about more than your parents Miss Swan," he pointed out. "They are from the future, a future that clearly involves us, as you well know that is dangerous for them and for us alike, telling us anything further might disrupt the timeline, it might ensure that your parents never come back from wherever they are. If they truly are from the future as they say, then it's imperative they stop talking, immediately."

She watched as Regina's face softened into submission and understanding, but Emma's remained hard and unyielding. "If my parents need help-"

"Then they'll have to figure it out on their own or you'll have to figure it out for yourself but you can't take the information from them. It's too much of a risk."

"Gold…"

"Look, we didn't mean to cause any trouble in coming here," Tiana assured them. "If I'd known I wouldn't have come at all, I just didn't understand or even really believe it until I saw Henry sitting here, much younger than when I knew him."

"Yeah, look, we do think it's safe to tell you that he's with them and…others, others we believe will stop at nothing to get them back here, to you," Naveen provided further.

"My brother needs his parents," Emma insisted through gritted teeth.

"And my niece needs her mother, but…we'll manage until they return," Regina insisted. "They're right. No one knows your mother and father as I do. They'll do anything they can to come home to you."

"But…"

It was the first time she'd ever seen Emma look truly defeated or betrayed in her life. The answers, everything she needed was right in front of her and everyone she trusted was telling her she couldn't have them. She'd never looked more pitiful as she gathered up her jacket and walked out the back door to the Bed and Breakfast, but the looks of sadness around the room told them all the same thing. It was for the best, they'd have to wait. They had to just see what would happen.

And so they did.

Days turned to weeks. Weeks all too soon became months. They tried their best to exist without their missing friends, to assure themselves that all would be well in the end. Tiana and Naveen had gone back to Hyperion Heights, promising that if anything happened, if anyone turned up they'd let them know immediately. And seeing as how people they loved were currently missing too, they expected that favor to be returned.

Robin stayed with Regina, who adjusted her schedule to look after the girl as best she could, Neal, much to Gideon's disappointment, stayed with Emma and Hook. And Emma...she continued to search. She wandered in and out of the library, looking through book after book, trying to put the pieces together to little success. She and Rapunzel watched as she seemed to pale day by day. In all the time since she'd met her parents, she'd never been separated from them for this long before. Well, she'd never been separated this long with her memories intact, at least.

And then, another blow.

In the midst of all of this, she'd never even thought it was a possibility that Henry might keep his word, that he might stick to his decision to leave Storybrooke after his eighteenth birthday, but he did. Secretly, she suspected that finding his grandparents might have been part of his plans. He, like Emma, had never really been happy that they hadn't gone out and searched harder for his family. And while they'd tried to keep it quiet that the strangers who had come to the diner and stared at him that day knew him as an older man, somehow he'd found out, and she could see the intrigue in his mind because of it. It was confirmation that there was something more for Henry somewhere else. And she could see how he wanted to know about it badly.

It happened one afternoon, only days after his eighteenth birthday. He took the motorcycle that he'd taken to riding, one that Regina had apparently enchanted to never run out of gas, and through a portal into the great beyond he went. No one was happy about it. She watched as Rumple tried to hide the dark shadow she saw behind his eyes for weeks afterward, even after Gideon and the others began school again, an odd gut churning reminder of just how much time had gone by. She tried her best to bring comfort as she could, to rest her hand over his when he grew quiet, to squeeze his shoulder when he was sitting at the wheel, to let him read bedtime stories to Gideon, and slowly she began to see life return to his eyes.

"He'll be fine," he whispered to her one night just before bed. "If any of this means anything, it means that he'll turn up again and we'll all be together."

She'd smiled and agreed with him, but couldn't bear to mention the one great elephant in the room that would lead to that reunion: another curse was coming. When or how or why…she didn't know. Perhaps that was why Rumple was so determined not to hear what the Tiana and Naveen had said. How was she supposed to fight what wasn't here yet? How was she supposed to save her family from time?

Before she could answer that question, or choose to ignore it, the phone had rung. It was Regina, breathless with a request that she drive over to her house immediately. She needed a babysitter for Robin and Neal. There was an emergency. Emma had been talking to her about her parents when she'd very suddenly collapsed. She had called an ambulance and Killian was on his way to meet them at the hospital, but Regina couldn't go until she found someone to look after Robin and Neal. She could think of better candidates, ones that wouldn't require her to leave her home or her own sleeping child, but an emergency required action, and she left all the same. When she arrived at Regina's house, she found Neal and Robin asleep on sofas and Granny knitting in the corner. There was no word on what had happened, and she desperately needed to get back to the Bed and Breakfast.

She sat with the kids through the night, curled up under a blanket in a large armchair. She was relieved when she heard the door open and close quietly just before the sun rose. Regina came home, jacket slung over her arm, looking tired and stiff. She met her in the foyer.

"What is it? What happened? Is Emma okay?"

Regina nodded as she rubbed her neck. "She's fine, stubborn woman. She's only pregnant."

Perhaps it was the early hour or the way that Regina had delivered the news to her but it took a moment for her to process exactly what she'd just said. She wasn't sick, she wasn't hurt. Emma was pregnant.

"Pregnant?!"

Regina nodded. "About three months along…"

"Three months?!" she hissed quickly glancing into the living room to make sure her words hadn't woken the children. "Why didn't she tell anyone?"

Regina shrugged. "She didn't know, or at least that's what she says. She's been running herself ragged with her parents gone, she thought it was just nerves. Today, the doctor said, her body finally just crashed."

"Well…is she alright? Is the baby alright?"

She followed Regina as she nodded and, after glancing at the two children herself, walked to the kitchen. "The doctor is going to have her eat something then put her on bedrest until she gets some of her strength back, which I'm sure she won't listen to…what awful timing. If there ever was a time she needed her mother…"

It was now. Pregnant, Henry gone, her parents missing, Emma needed her mother now more than ever. But they were nowhere to be found; there was no call from Hyperion Heights, no rumors of portals, no signs from some mysterious beyond even giving them hints. And without it, there was little chance of Emma obeying the order of staying on bedrest. But she was pleasantly surprised that for the most part, she did.

On Robin's sixth birthday Emma looked better, at least, there was color in her cheeks again, and for once she was standing still and not running off somewhere, though they could all tell she wanted to. She wasn't sure if she was pleased or not with the baby, but then again it was probably difficult to be when everyone kept using it against her.

"Please, for the baby," Hook encouraged when she turned down lunch. Emma stared at him with a glare that made her think that request was a frequent one before taking the food and eating.

"I don't know how long she can go on like this," she whispered to Regina as the kids ran around Granny's.

"To be honest…neither do I," she answered.

The look on Emma's face in the days that followed was uncertain. It was a half image, a terrible version of someone who was trying desperately to pretend like all was well, while at the same time dealing with far too much. She missed Henry. She missed her parents. In only a few short months it was as if the life they were living had turned on its head. Nothing was certain. Everything was uncertain. It was a time that they all acknowledged they should be prepared to expect the unexpected and yet, only a few days after Robin's birthday, the unexpected hit once more and no one saw it coming.

"Where is everyone?" she questioned one evening when she and Rumple were summoned to Granny's. It was after closing and the three of them were the only ones there. Well, six, if she counted the Neal and Robin cutting out paper in a booth and Gideon who ran over to join them. They'd been getting ready to go home when they were called over for a meeting but the three of them hardly made up a meeting like they usually had. And for good reason, she was bound to discover.

"Gone!" Granny declared matter-of-factly. "It happened again!"

"What do you mean 'it happened again'?" she pressed.

"Hook, Regina, and Emma this time, they're gone."

"Gone where?!" she demanded.

"Not a clue. Happened just like Ashley said the Charmings left. Emma came in here earlier this afternoon with Robin and Neal and asked me to watch them for a while. Called you when I couldn't get a hold of anyone."

She felt her eyes widen as she turned to look at Rumple who was equally stunned by the news. Gideon, on the other hand, was thrilled. After calling their cell phones enough times to know Granny had been telling the truth, Robin and Neal went home with the pair of them and the children boasted about a sleep over in the backseat. It was the last thing she wanted to deal with, three rowdy children happy to be with one another when all she felt was panic and worry. Getting them to sleep was a nearly impossible endeavor that night but once they were finally tucked away in their bedrooms, and she was certain they'd finally given up faking sleep and were actually asleep, she and her husband crawled into bed themselves. But tired as she was she couldn't bring herself to sleep, she didn't even curl herself into him, just turned on her side and watched him do the same from his own pillow.

"It's just like the others. Do you think they've figured it out and gone after Snow?" she questioned.

"It's hard to say where they've gone, or for how long. I would never have thought that Snow and Charming would stay away this long. Whatever realm they've gone to, time must run differently there."

She shuddered at the that thought. Robin and Neal had already been without their parents for months but at least they'd been with family. Of course, they considered them family but they weren't blood. They only saw them through Gideon and on special occasions. How long would they be here? How long would they be apart from everyone?

"I don't understand how this keeps happening," she whispered back.

Beneath the sheets she felt his hand move over her stomach and along her hip, drawing her closer and easing her from the tension she felt beneath her skin. This was surely only a fraction of what Emma had felt over these last months. It was a miracle she'd stayed pregnant. And now they had two more mouths to feed, to clothe, to get to school…what had they been thinking? Leaving the way they had? Without a hint or a note?!

"Belle…I want to cast a spell," he muttered bringing her back into the moment with him.

"A spell…a spell for what? To find them?"

"No," he answered taking her hand in his own. "I want to cast a spell on us, our hearts, yours, mine…Gideon. A spell that keeps us together, no matter what world we may be in."

She went quiet. She understood what he was talking about, she even understood his motivation. It was to keep something like this from happening. With everyone disappearing all the time this would allow them to always be together. It would ensure that if Gideon was ever taken somewhere they would go to. If she was ever summoned to Emma's side he would appear as well but then…so would Gideon.

There was the rub. If they cast a spell like that it wouldn't be selective. This kind of magic wasn't gray it was black and white. If she was summoned to Emma's side some how, even if she was in the midst of danger, then Gideon would be too. Or worse, there was no assurance that Gideon would end up by her side. He could turn up in a different location in a foreign world. He could be lost, and they could be forced to find one another when they were needed most. She didn't want what had happened to Emma and her parents to happen to them. She didn't want to wake tomorrow and realize that he had been called away without warning and she had no way to get to him, but she also couldn't let Gideon be dragged into it. And the kind of magic he'd have to use in order to pull off a spell like that, it wasn't worth reawakening the beast who had been quiet, for so many years not when he was finally the man he'd dreamed of being, the perfect father and husband.

"I think we both know magic like that isn't the answer here, Rumple. It's too dangerous, for you and for me, but especially for Gideon."

"I can't wake up one day and find you gone, Belle. Neither can Gideon."

"He won't! You won't!" she insisted. If that was really what was happening, then she might let him do it but when she thought about how they were coming to know all this information, about what had happened to Neal and Robin, one thing seemed perfectly obvious. "They're all disappearing together and with plenty of time to arrange for care for the children. If the moment should come, if one of us should be summoned we'll have time to find one another. We'll go together, no matter what."

"No matter what," he repeated, stressing every word so that she would understand exactly what she was promising him. She did. Completely. She wouldn't run off into the great beyond again, not without him, not without the assurance that Gideon would be cared for properly in their absence.

"No matter what."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Step 3: Don't be afraid to fill the plot hole with time. And really, step three was the key to all of this. And I can't take full credit for it because trust me, when you stop to think about it, this is pretty much laid out for you in season 7. Henry gets the phone call from himself around graduation time. In Maine, graduation would be June. That's when he decides he's going to leave. When Snow, Charming, and Zelena leave we're told Henry and his parents are on his graduation trip and we know that Henry doesn't leave Storybrooke until after his 18th birthday which is in August. Therefore, we can say with confidence that sometime between June and August 15th is when Snow, Charming, and Zelena left. Now, we've already stated because of Step 1 that Henry MUST leave because if he doesn't it changes their future. Personally, I couldn't see Henry getting home discovering his family was missing and saying "cool but I'm still leaving tomorrow". I could, however, see him after a few weeks of them missing getting it in his head that there is a great big adventure out there and now that adventure might involve saving his family so he's going to go through with it as planned. Now, as far as the departure of Emma, Killian, and Regina are concerned this needed to be handled with care too. We know from their dialogue when they meet Henry that he has been gone for some time, but obviously not enough time that they expected him to be THAT grown up (remember that for a parent days can feel like years), we also know from their dialogue that Henry did not know Emma was pregnant before she left. I didn't want to wait too long to send Emma, Killian, and Regina along to Henry's aid, mostly because Emma right now, fun fact, she's in her late 30's. It's not unheard of to have a baby at 38 but it's also not the safest or easiest thing in the world (the bed rest makes sense for it actually). Basically, if I waited too long she wasn't going to have that baby until 40 and she just couldn't pass for 40 to me, sorry. Also, because they are so shocked to see Henry all grown up, that tells us that Older Henry has not yet returned with Snow, Charming, and the rest of the gang in the dream world. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so shocked to see him older. Also, as Regina decides to stay with Henry, if the others had come back prior to this her choice wouldn't have been such a surprise because they'd know. Ta-da! Season 7 timeline explained in three steps.
> 
> Big thank you goes to Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter! Glad you are enjoying it. Does your head hurt? Mine certainly did having to put that timeline together. It's like one of those stupid logic puzzles you have to do in 3rd grade. And we're not even really done explaining things! I hope for now this is satisfactory and you do have the weekend to mull it over before we add in another layer. What I don't like about it? This means that Neal and Robin are away from their parents for months. It really killed me to separate them that long, but I found I didn't have much of a choice. What I like about this though is that it adds another layer to Regina throughout season 7. She was really the person to follow in all the movements. I think it's cool going back and thinking of the smile she gives when she first sees the Charmings again. If this timeline tracks, that smile becomes an "oh, so this is where you've been" smile. And it's kinda odd, but when Henry asks her "how are grandma and grandpa?" we could assume she's answering for Rumple and Belle, we could also believe that in saying they are happy she's lying to him, comforting him by making him believe they eventually came home and he no longer has to worry about them anymore. Time is the subject again in our next chapter. If you are ready, then onward we go! Peace and Happy Reading!


	13. A Hint of Their Own Trouble

But the promise was not necessary, for answers came easier than she'd expected.

It was after they dropped the children off for school the day after Emma, Killian, and Regina vanished. They were heading down Main Street to go to work when she saw an orange glow and sparks in the middle of a road. A car swerved to avoid something as the light faded and another one stopped short and honked and what had suddenly appeared seemingly out of thin air.

"Belle!" Rumple called after her, but it was too late, she was already tearing down the street with her phone out, prepared to called 911 as the car moved aside and she saw, standing in the middle of the street, Killian and Emma. They were what had appeared! And to add to the chaos and confusion, Emma was smiling. For the first time in months, it was a genuine smile that was on her face. She was happy about something, truly happy. And all at once, even in the middle of the street with morning traffic honking at them to get out of the way Killian swung her up into his arms and took big steps to put them down safely on the sidewalk.

"Emma…"

"What happened?" Rumple demanded behind her, finally catching up.

Killian released her, and she looked over at them with wide bright eyes. Emma was glowing so much she thought for a moment the girl might actually burst into flame.

"I've seen him!" she exclaimed. "We've seen Henry!"

"How?"

"You've seen him?!"

"Aye," Killian confirmed at their questions. "He's grown."

"He's more than that he's…I think he's in love."

"Love?" she questioned as Emma leaned into Hook. She looked so happy that she might have been about to cry. Love. That was the last thing that she expected to come out of her mouth after the journey they'd been on, wherever it had been to. The last they'd seen of Henry he was a teenager, but the strangers to town, Tiana, Naveen, Alice, Robin...they'd all stated that Henry had been married with a child and was in danger! Had something gone wrong? Had something happened to his wife? Or was it the timing? The strangers had said they'd been sent back in time. Was it that something had gone wrong? Or was it that this Henry just hadn't quite gotten to that point yet and was only just now falling in love. She didn't expect her grandson would be the kind of person to marry without it. And she really didn't think he'd be the one to abandon a wife and daughter for a temptation. And besides that…she looked around wildly, half expecting to see more familiar faces but Snow, Zelena, and David weren't among the pair. She'd made no mention of them. Was it possible they'd gone to two different times? Could it be? What was going on and…now that she thought of it, there was someone else missing, someone who had gone with them, but hadn't come back yet. Where was Regina?

"Regina? Where is she?" she questioned.

"She opted to stay behind with Henry," Killian explained.

"Stay behind? Why?"

"She wanted to; we couldn't stop her."

"Snow? David?" she questioned further. Emma only shook her head.

"No, this was a different realm, one not unlike our own," Killian answered. "It was a different time altogether I suspect."

"Then it's best not to talk about it!" Rumple stated simply beside her. He grabbed her arm as if to pull her away from the conversation.

"Rumple!" she hissed pulling it free. She knew how he felt about the idea of not knowing future events, but he had asked questions too! There was no need to be so harsh about it all!

"No, he's right, love," Killian inserted. "If the last few hours have proven anything to us then…it's that this situation is delicate, intricate."

"And if Regina stayed behind and is no longer here that suggests the timeline for our friends from Washington is intact."

Emma nodded and reached up to wipe her eyes. Was she crying? Had she ever seen Emma cry before? That was the hormones, wasn't it?

"The timeline is intact for them to go, but that's no assurance they'll come home! Damn hormones!" she cried as her voice cracked and she wiped her eyes again.

"No, but Swan…" Killian turned her carefully back toward him. "If Henry can reappear in such a way, then I do not doubt that they can too. We'll figure out where they are and if not then I'm sure one day they'll just pop back into town. If you are meant to save them, then we will discover that answer together." He reached out and gently put his fingertips to her stomach. "All three of us."

They had left Emma and Killian on the street that day, and it was only once they dropped Neal and Robin off at their house that they learned anything more about the trip. Before he'd gone, Killian had given Henry a small bottle of liquid that allowed for help to be called from anywhere. Henry had used it. At first, he and Regina had gone, leaving Emma behind to rest but she had other ideas and turned up just after them using a magic bean that she'd confiscated years ago, one of the hundred, before Anton had gone. It felt like hours to them, not an entire day!

"Time moves differently in other realms," Rumple explained as the children played in the backyard. Sometimes it was fixed, sometimes it wasn't. Obviously, the place Henry had landed was a realm where time moved faster.

"Does it all make sense to you now? Everything Tiana and Naveen said, is it clear? Any of it?"

"Belle…"

"They don't have to tell me details Rumple!" she stressed. Perhaps Emma and Killian couldn't feel it like she could, but she'd been very clearly aware of just how uncomfortable her husband had been since Emma and Hook began talking about the place they'd gone to. No, they shouldn't share details, but something like she'd asked…she was certain it was safe enough.

"Some of it," Emma answered. "Parts about Henry and Hook are clear but the rest of it…I think this must have been long before whatever curse was cast hit them. Which means we were in the future, but my parents are in that future's future…which is their past…but also our past..."

"Which is why it's best not to risk it," Rumple muttered quietly as Emma tried to work through it. Irritating as it was, it finally put a stop to the entire conversation. They gathered Gideon up, and went home with him. They made dinner, and by the time they put Gideon to bed, they were too exhausted to stay up any later. Their bedroom called.

But of course, with a growing boy, peace in their lives was never guaranteed. There were always more to come, and in complicated times it was always the simple that seemed to perplex her, that life could go on like normal even when things weren't.

She could honestly say that in all the time that they'd come back to one another she'd only broken one promise to her husband.

Their bedroom was still their bedroom. The first time he'd told her he didn't want Gideon sleeping with them in their bed she'd chastised him and reminded him that she knew for a fact he'd let Neal sleep with him as a child, but she hadn't understood. Then it had been different for him. Then he'd been disabled and unable to climb into the loft to care for his child, and he'd had no one to help him. This time things were different. She hadn't understood, but he'd gone on to explain that it wasn't anything against Gideon, just a matter of preserving a small bit of their life together.

"In this room, we are not parents," he'd insisted, "in this room, this one small square in our house we are not mother and father, not husband and wife, not responsible for chores or anyone else. In this room it's just you and me, we are just Rumpelstiltskin and Belle, just two lovers. That's the way I want it to be. The rest of this house the world can have, I just want this little bit for us alone."

She'd felt herself blush at his words and commented how romantic he could be when he tried; romantic enough that she finally understood and liked the idea. They still made love. Frequently. He'd once confessed to her in the dark of the night as they lay shivering from cooled sweat and sought to use one another for heat that he didn't know that it was possible to continue as they were. The idea of sex with Milah had soon faded from his mind the moment he'd held Baelfire, but then so had most if not all of his first marriage. But the two of them were different. They still slept together, still held one another, and much to his amazement, at least two or three times a week when she crawled into bed and leaned over to kiss him they found themselves locked in deep embraces before he plunged inside of her again.

"Milah didn't love you like I do," she muttered back as an explanation to his confusion. "Married six years and I still can't imagine my life without you. I'm still just as in love with you as I was when you gave me that rose in your castle."

Yes, initially she'd loved the idea of keeping their bedroom sacred, of setting it apart from the world for the two of them only. But ideas were always better in theory than they were in practice.

Day to day she'd begun to notice little changes, moments when she would need to get ready for something and Gideon would come to do his homework in their bedroom while she readied herself. Rumple wasn't crazy about the developments, but he let them pass. And soon enough it became obvious that was not the only thing that he'd have to let pass.

The nightmares began along with first grade. It was normal, all the books said so. Gideon was the right age for nightmares and with all that had happened in Storybrooke over the summer, his friend's parents disappearing, it became all too often that he knocked on their door late at night with tears in his eyes wondering if he could sleep with them. She would try to get him back to bed, but more often than not he ended up falling asleep between the pair of them and Rumple, who seemed unable to sleep unless she was curled around him, would take him back to his bed as soon as he settled for the night. It was typical, but not normal, not yet at least. It only happened once a week or so, and she was getting good at hearing his whimpering down the hall and knowing when it would come.

Try as they may, Gideon never seemed interested in talking about his nightmares. When they asked him what he'd dreamed about with the hopes that they could reassure him all was fine and the monsters in his head didn't exist in reality, he would only shake his head.

"I don't want to think about it."

"Gideon, you know you can tell your father and I anything."

He'd nod, but continue to stare down at his supper.

"It's just so odd," she commented as they prepared for bed. It had been two weeks since Emma and Killian returned, long enough and uneventful enough that life seemed to have tragically settled again. They were once again going about their daily business and waiting, just waiting, for the day that the others returned.

"I thought you said you'd read it was normal? And Bae went through the same thing at his age," he countered.

"Not the nightmares, the fact that he won't tell us. He tells us everything, he never lies."

"Perhaps he doesn't remember," he commented as she finally joined him in bed. "You have dreams all the time you never remember when you wake."

"But I always remember my nightmares," she added. It was the only problem she still had that never seemed to go away. Dreams she never remembered and nightmares she couldn't forget. They'd changed over time, evolved beyond what they once were, but it never ceased to amaze her that she always ended up in that dark cell time after time.

"Probably…" she pushed herself up onto her elbow and gazed down at him, the cure to her nightmares, the one who always got her to calm down and go back to sleep after they were done. Now that he'd brought it up, she could use a little forgetting. "Probably because I'm living a dream come true."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

But she'd barely gotten the words out before he'd tangled his fingers in her hair and brought her down to kiss him. The images her own nightmares left her with fled from her mind as he massaged the back of her neck and worked his mouth around her jaw and down to her collar bone.

She sighed in response and let herself smile as he rolled her over onto her back and his hand sought out the bottom of her nightgown to pull it up and over her head-

"Mama! Papa!"

They were trapped. Too caught up in each other, they hadn't heard the usual squeak of their bedroom door and were only covered by blankets, her arms were above her head, held in place by the nightgown that wasn't entirely off and she felt his head fall against her chest in disappointment as their son sniffled from the threshold of their door.

"C-can I sleep w-with you? W-why are Mama's pjs on wrong?"

Rumpelstiltskin finally picked his head up off her chest as her heartbeat slowed and she began to think again. "You owe me," he muttered before moving off of her. That was true. As far she was concerned they owed each other. With any luck, they'd be able to handle that tonight.

"Papa was just helping me put it on, baby," she explained, sliding the gown back over her head and sitting up. "Why don't we go back to your room and-"

"No…" he sniffled coming into their room. "I want to sleep with you."

He crawled onto their bed before she could suggest his own room again and she made room for him in defeat. She kissed his head and held him against her like he was a teddy bear, despite the fact the was half her size. Rumple rolled onto his side and watched the two of them as Gideon made himself comfortable on her pillow. This was always the reason that she assumed he wanted their bedroom to remain theirs. Neither could sleep alone anymore, if she got to sleep now, it would be because she was cuddling Gideon close to her, but that left no one for Rumple. He'd stare at the two of them and watch them drift off until Gideon was asleep enough that he could move him back into his room and she could be his own again. They loved being parents, and she knew that neither of them would ever change a thing about their life together, but that was the thing. They loved their life too much to let any part of it ever go, and that included their intimacy.

Another sniffle from Gideon tore her gaze from Rumple and made her hold Gideon tighter and kiss his head. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yes, Mama," he cried, burying his face in her pillow.

"What was it about?" she questioned eagerly, wondering if maybe the nighttime would loosen his tongue, but in the end, all she got from Gideon was a head shake.

"I don't want to think about it."

That same answer. She glanced over at Rumple who looked just as disappointed as she imagined that she did at that answer. Was he ever going to tell them?

"Gideon you know you can tell us anything," Rumple encouraged once more, but the response was just the same as always; a nod and nothing more. She leaned her forehead against the back of Gideon's head and wished it was enough to see the images that he was seeing, to understand what he was imaging that was so terrible so that they could work on it. But it wasn't. They needed a new method, something that wasn't just the usual questions that led to the usual answers. They needed to work with this so that they could fix the problem.

"Well, you know…monsters don't exist, Gideon, not in this house," she commented. Monsters were what most kids had nightmares of; she had when she was a child. It was the best guess she had. "So long as you are with your father and I you are safe."

Gideon inhaled, sniffling a bit more. "But it wasn't a monster, Mama," he countered. "And you and Papa weren't there!"

Perhaps it was about his friend's parents going missing. After months of being away and talking with Neal and Robin, she knew it had to have taken an effect on him in some way. She wanted so desperately to tell him they were there now, that the dreams weren't real and they were never far, but she didn't want to ignore the fact that they'd gotten somewhere at least. He wasn't dreaming of monsters, and she and Rumple weren't there. Was he dreaming of darkness? Was he lost in a labyrinth? What scared him so much?

"Are you worried Papa and I will vanish like Snow and David? Like Zelena and Regina?"

"No…you weren't gone like that."

"Oh…well…where were Papa and I if we weren't with you?"

"I don't know, but there was a woman there. She was dressed in all black, and she kept me in a cage. She said she was my Mother and if I didn't do what she said I would regret it."

She felt a chill rush through her body, from the very top of her head all the way down to her toes. She glanced over at Rumple and saw wide eyes staring back at her own. He knew as well as she did what that meant. It was all too easy to picture this woman in his dreams because it was no dream that he was having, it wasn't even a nightmare, at least not that they could be sure. It was something left over from another life.

"It was just a bad dream, son," Rumple insisted. She hugged Gideon tighter as Rumple reached out to smooth his golden hair over his head. "It's over now, you safe. You know that, don't you."

Gideon nodded. "Yes, Papa."

She hoped that was the end of it, that they might be able to go to sleep or that Gideon would drift off sleeping happily between the two of them but she and Rumple continued to exchange glances even as she buried her nose in his hair to smell proof of the shampoo from his shower. Clean, healthy, good, and smart. That was who he was now. That was who he was going to be. Not what that woman had wanted him to be.

"Mama, what does 'regret' mean?"

She fought the tears in her eyes off, trying hard not to let Gideon know how her heart was hurting from such a simple phrase. It truly hadn't been a dream then. He couldn't dream about words and phrases he didn't know.

"It means you will be sad about something you didn't do."

"Like when I didn't finish my homework and had to stay in to do it while the others went outside and played?"

"Yes, that's exactly right."

"So, if I didn't listen to the woman, I would be sad about it."

"The woman is gone, Gideon. You have nothing to fear now, you are awake, and with your father and I. We'll always be here. We'll always keep you safe. You'll have nothing to regret."

"Close your eyes and go back to sleep, Gideon. You'll be fine here with us," Rumple added, before reaching over their son's body and finding her hand. Gideon obeyed the command that they had given him. He closed his eyes, and she felt his body begin to go limp as he faded into sleep just like he had when he was a baby. She didn't go to sleep, not like her little boy did but between holding him tight and watching Rumple, she admitted that she was drifting. She was in a place between sleep and awake, a place where she was warm and lighter than air, a place where she wasn't conscious of what was going on around her until the peace of it was disturbed.

How long it was, she wasn't sure, but she roused at the motion of the bed as Rumple rolled out. The motion was small enough not to disturb Gideon, but great enough that she sensed it and was awake right away again. She forced a smile as he made his way around the bed and pushed back the blankets to collect their son so he could take him back to his bed.

"I'll wait for you," she whispered rubbing her eyes. The events of the night were in her mind's eye once more, and there was no chance she would sleep so long as they were apart and Gideon's memories went unacknowledged.

He was only gone for a few moments. Long enough to set Gideon back in his bed and tuck him in once more. When he returned neither made any attempt to pick up where they left off when Gideon interrupted, and she made no move to curl into his arms. Instead, he lay on his side facing her as he had when Gideon had gone to sleep and watched her.

"He has memories of her," she finally whispered into the silence. Dreaded words. She didn't know how much the very thought of them made her sad until they were staring her in the face. All this time she'd been worried about what was going on around him when she should have been worried about what was going on in his head and what was left over. She wanted every trace of that vile woman gone from Gideon's life and his mind. They'd not mentioned her to him in the time that he was alive, not by name or deed, at least not that she remembered, and she wasn't about to start. But was it too late, were they doomed already by what had been done to him?

"No, he doesn't," Rumple disagreed. "He has nightmares of her. There's a difference."

"Rumple, what's the difference?!" she hissed. "He didn't just make that up, he remembers!" She haunted him, and that was more than enough. What did it matter? He had an image of being in a cage without his mother and father, with that other woman telling him that she was his mother and threatening him to get her way. A vision was a vision whether it was a dream or a memory.

"The difference is that he is with us now."

"It scares him, Rumple."

"But he knows he's safe with us. As far as he's concerned, it's a dream and nothing more, something his mind has made up, and that's the way it's going to stay."

"'As far as he knows'…Rumple, we know better."

"But he doesn't," he insisted firmly. He moved closer to her and moved his hand over her cheek. "She's nameless to him, Belle. She gets a fraction of his unconscious mind, and it'll fade with time. But what he knows is us. All he'll ever know for sure is the two of us. That's what matters."

She blinked the tears out of her eyes and let his arms come around her so she could bury her head in his chest. "I hope you're right, Rumple."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Step Four: Find the flaws given in the story and exploit them to make things work. So, how is it possible that Henry left only a couple of months ago but is already fully grown? This one was quite simple and actually gave me the answer to "if all of this takes months why don't the Charmings or Zelena seem to notice they've been away from their kids so long in the Wish Realm". Rumple has said himself that the Realms work on different schedules. While it seems that The Enchanted Forest ran on the same timeline that they The Land Without Magic did there are other lands that don't. The Land of Untold Stories, for example, where everything is more or less frozen, and then we have the Edge of Realms where everything is ramped up, and let's not forget the endless Night in Neverland. Time works differently in different realms. Period. So, I used that to my advantage. Why is Henry aging so fast? He's probably in a realm where time passes quickly. That's the way it has to be unless you want to believe Emma is having a baby at 48. Why don't the Charmings or Zelena seem to notice they've been away from their kids so long in the Wish Realm? Well, it's the Wish Realm, right? It's based on wishes, so if everyone there wants these events to happen quickly so they can return home, it seems like time there might be a little unstable. I know, it's not a perfect explanation, but the truth is that in order to make this work I have to take some liberties here and there. It's cleaning up the mess of the plot hole so that it's closed for good.
> 
> Big, big, big thank yous to Taisch and Goldenspinner1953 for your super kind comments on the last chapter. Happy to hear I haven't lost you in all this and you have faith that I know what I'm doing. I'm sorry this chapter seems kind of odd. In truth, I finished this story before the finale of season 7 and once I saw what happened I had to go back to add the two previous chapters and the next chapter as well as make updates to the entire thing to accommodate those changes. This chapter, the bit about Gideon, was here long before the finale and when I saw what was going on I did think about moving it but I figured that it would be better to keep it, as Gideon is the right age for nightmares and it shows that while everyone is away nothing in Storybrooke is stopping. Normal things are happening, things that were a threat are still a threat, unpleasant memories are still unpleasant. I always wanted Gideon to have these dreams of Fiona, to show that what was in his past was not forgotten entirely just "stored" in a sense. This issue is going to come up again in another chapter and I'll explain then why I thought it was important to have these "dreams" of his in this fiction. For now I'm curious to hear what you think. Join me in the next chapter as we finally reunite these realms, or at least most of them! Peace and Happy Reading.


	14. Joyous Return

Life didn't stop. Despite everything changing and shifting around them, departures that were unexpected and arrivals that were anticipated, life continued on in a way that sometimes seemed almost cruel. With the start of grade school she never would have expected things in their world would shift in any way bigger than what had already come to pass, but it did. It seemed like such an easy transition to go from Kindergarten to first grade, and aside from the nightmares she supposed it was for Gideon, but she was aware of just how difficult it had been for Neal and Robin, to start grade school and not have their parents there to see it. They'd hosted a birthday party for Gideon and she'd watched as the pair of them struggled to smile, Robin more than Neal as now without Regina she had no family left in town. She often wondered if Regina had considered that before deciding to stay with Henry. Emma was doing a good job caring for the child and she was shocked by just how many in Storybrooke were happy to help out when it was needed despite the fact that she was the daughter of the Wicked Witch. It was impossible not to feel sorry for a child who just wanted her family back. That was why she assumed Emma wanted to take care of her, she had a feeling she could relate to what the girl was going through.

On Emma's birthday, just when she thought that she couldn't handle any more life changes for a while that didn't include the return of their friends that she got another surprise. She and Rapunzel were working alone in the library and she'd gotten up to go to the bathroom the pair of them used during work hours. As she stood at the sink ready to wash her hands she saw an odd-looking plastic stick propped up over the faucet. There was a blue cap and a screen on it and when she looked it over she saw that the screen read "pregnant". It took her a moment to connect the dots in her head, to remember it was only her and Rapunzel who used this bathroom and if she hadn't taken the pregnancy test then…

She walked out into the library with a beaming smile and saw Rapunzel sitting there in her chair waiting for her with an excited grin.

"You're pregnant?"

She nodded. There was a squeal between the two of them as they launched into one another's arms and held on tight. Rapunzel had been trying to get pregnant for more than a year, in fact, she'd feared that the root she'd drank all those years ago might have damaged her in some way or that she was getting too old, neither of them were exactly "spring chickens" anymore she'd often said. But Jackie was certain that it was possible. She'd told her months ago to just relax and let nature do its job. Apparently, it had worked. And it was funny to think that even in the midst of everything that had happened and everything that was happening, something so simple could startle her so much. She was thrilled of course, but also sad, for it made her remember everything that Snow and David, even Regina and Zelena were missing. And it made her endlessly curious about what they were missing with them. And even more, she wondered if they knew what they were missing in their children's lives.

She'd been excited to pick Gideon up from school that day and tell him Rapunzel's good news. But when she arrived at the school Gideon didn't run out to her with his usual bright smile. He was unhappy. And though she wouldn't admit it, it was for a decent reason, at least to a child who had just turned six. He lived for his time on the playground with his friends, but that day one of them hadn't been permitted to play with them. Robin had been asked to stay indoors. She was in trouble. The teacher had caught her with a book of spells and confiscated it. Where, exactly, Robin had gotten the book was a mystery to everyone, but what she was trying to use it for was an understandable situation to everyone-everyone except her teacher it seemed.

"She just misses her mama," Gideon explained sadly as they walked hand in hand down the street. "She just wanted to try and use the magic to bring her back. Emma is nice to her at their house, but she wants her mama back."

Her heart broke as they walked down the street to his father's shop and she realized that his sadness had very little to do with the fact that Robin hadn't been allowed to play with them that day, and was instead focused on the young girl. He had sympathy toward her. That was a good thing in the long run, but at that moment…

"I'll tell you what…" she muttered kneeling down beside him. "Emma told me that she was planning on taking Robin and Neal to Granny's tonight for ice cream because it's her birthday. Why don't we go too."

His face brightened. "Really?! On a school night?! For no reason at all?!"

"On a school night and for no reason at all!" she smiled back. He rushed forward quickly and hugged her tight before letting go and yelling "I'm gonna tell Papa!" as he tore down the rest of the street to the pawn shop.

That would come as a surprise. Generally, they had a rule about going to Granny's and seeing friends on school nights, but this seemed in order tonight, given the circumstances. And she already knew that Emma was talking with the teacher, explaining the situation that she was certain she already knew. If her six-year-old could have sympathy on poor Robin's situation, then why couldn't their teacher.

"I understand we're breaking a school rule tonight," Rumple inquired when she finally joined the pair of them in the back room and verified that Gideon was, in fact, getting books out of his bag to start his homework. She leaned over and kissed her husband before nodding.

"I'll explain later, this falls under a special occasion in my book. I want to let Rapunzel know first. She should join us as she's finally expecting a B-A-B-Y."

"Auntie's gonna have a baby?!" Gideon squealed interpreting the message she'd been intending to tell him later. "I get a cousin?!"

The incident at school was overshadowed by the news of a new cousin for Gideon and the idea of ice cream. Rapunzel and Flynn promised to meet them at Granny's for Emma's birthday and oddly enough, by the time dinner rolled around, it was the teacher that she felt sorry for. As it turned out, Emma had explained what happened to Granny and Granny, in turn, had told the dwarves and the dwarves had told…well, just about everyone. People in the town had very little care toward Zelena, but for a little girl who just wanted her mother they came out in droves. She watched the diner fill up with people who came to offer hugs and precious objects; one man even made a balloon animal for her. It was as if she was getting a second birthday and after overhearing conversations about the teacher, she was sure Emma would be getting at least one call from someone who went out to harass her tonight.

The diner was so crowded that they could only just barely hear the rumble of the thunder outside over the rumble inside.

"She seems happier," she commented watching the kids eating their ice cream at the counter.

"Yeah but she did last night too," Emma confirmed. "Did she get the spell book from your library?"

She shook her head. "I checked the title it's not one of mine."

"Gold?"

Beside her Rumple snorted in disgust "I wouldn't give a child any book of spells Ms. Swan, it's probably just something she found lying around."

"You don't just find a book of spells lying around, Gold."

"She's a child, and her mother happens to be the Wicked Witch of the West, it wouldn't surprise me if-"

"It's coming!"

The diner silenced immediately at Leroy's shout. He was standing at a window, looking out, eyes wide and red on his face. She didn't know what he was talking about, but she knew almost instantly from the sound of his tone it wasn't good.

"A curse! It's coming!"

At the mention of a curse, everyone moved at once to the window and pressed together to get a good look. And then the screaming began. People fled, they ran right out the door into the storm as if it was something they could outrun. She didn't pause in consideration but rather sprinted toward the children, pressing them to the counter so they wouldn't get lost or trampled in the midst of the chaos. What had once been a happy party was now in tatters. Plates of food lay strewn on the floor, napkins were left behind, chairs over turned. Now it was only Granny, the dwarves, and their family in the diner. There were shouts and screams from outside, and she finally crept closer to the window Leory was at to see for herself.

It wasn't a storm they'd been hearing. It was a great cloud of purple smoke, rolling over the town, glittering in the lightening it produced. It was a curse.

"Rumple!" she cried, but he was already behind it.

"I see it."

"Gold! What do we do?" Emma asked.

But she already knew the answer as she watched it roll down Main Street, past the library and shop, coming closer every second.

"It's too late," he muttered, his eyes wide.

They'd had no warning, no inclination of evil, no enemies for years now! This was unexpected, so unexpected she couldn't even begin to guess who might do such a thing and as it began to bear down on them, she didn't care.

"Gideon!" she opened her arms for her son, and he ran into them. Despite his size, she swung him up into her arms and held on tight to him. Where would they end up? What would they believe? Where were they going? She only prayed that she'd be with them, the boy in her arms and the husband who was holding them both.

"Mama!" Gideon cried, hiding his face in her neck. As the purple smoke poured in Rumple held them both tighter.

"Together," she heard him say over the roar of the invading storm. It was one word, but she knew the implication of it perfectly. At least they'd be together wherever they ended up. As long as they were together they would find each other again. The curse would be broken, just as all curses could be. They would be together again. She just hoped it was sooner rather than later. She kissed her husband before letting him gather the pair of them up and hold them tight again. She knew that Gideon was screaming, but she couldn't hear the sound. The lights began to flicker and go out in the diner, and suddenly there was only the sense of touch, the weight of her boy in her arms and Rumple around the pair of them as the ground shook and fog enveloped them and…

It stopped.

Just as quickly as it had all happened, it stopped. The lights in the diner came on revealing the damage done in the quake, but she only cared that her son was still in her arms and Rumpelstiltskin was by her side. She let out a sigh of relief and let her head fall into his chest so he could kiss the top of her head before turning her attention to Gideon, who was still crying on her shoulder. Emma and Killian were not far with Neal and Robin, who hadn't faired hardly any better than Gideon. The only difference was that Emma kept one hand secure around the small but noticeable bump at her belly.

"Bloody hell, what was that?" Killian asked as he rushed to Granny's side and helped her up. She'd fallen by a table but tough as she was didn't appear to be hurt.

"I don't know," Emma breathed. "Gold, what-"

"It worked!" Robin screamed suddenly, looking out the window.

"Robin. Robin! No! Stay here!" but it was too late, the girl had opened the door and was running out the diner, down the stairs, into the street. They followed after her but stopped suddenly on the porch when it became clear where she was going. It was clear, but they were still utterly confused at the sight that met their eyes.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Robin yelled flying down the street.

"Robin! There's my girl!" In the middle of the street, Zelena emerged from a crowd of people. She beamed as she clapped her hands together and Robin jumped into her embrace before-

"Mom! Dad!" Neal was next, off the porch and flying into the waiting arms of Prince Charming and Snow White.

"Neal!" Snow shouted, kneeling down to hold him close.

"Mom! Dad!" Emma choked as she timidly moved down the steps leaving the rest of them standing there utterly befuddled at the sight before them.

It was all of them. All of them and more. Snow, David, Zelena, Regina, and even Henry dressed as some kind of knight. But there was also a strange man, hugging a beautiful woman with caramel skin before he reached down and hugged the girl before them. There were two woman she'd never seen before holding one another and swaying as they looked on at Zelena and Robin's reunion with a smile. And then there was the strangest sight they'd seen. Captain Hook beside the two women. And Captain Hook beside them. They locked eyes and stared at each other before offering a nod like they knew one another.

"Killian, what is this?" she questioned finally letting Gideon down but continuing to hold his pulling hand. He wanted to join the crowd, but she wasn't about to let him go until she knew what was going on and who that was. Who they all were.

"That is the version of me from the wish realm."

He answered like it had explained it all, but she was still confused by it all. How on earth…

"Gold…"

She glanced over to find Regina had separated herself from the crowd of people and was coming over to them. Her smile was wide, and there were tears in her eyes. At Killian's bidding, she finally let Gideon go to the crowd, and she wandered down the stairs with Rumple to meet Regina at the gate.

"Where have you all been?"

Regina sighed. "Everywhere. Every...when!" Before they had time to prepare, Regina leaped forward to throw her arms around her husband. He flinched, surprised at the sudden show of affection and glanced over at her before Regina finally let go. "I'm sorry," she muttered wiping the tears free from her eyes. "It's just…it's really good to see you."

She opened her mouth to say something but it was at that moment that something else caught her eye and her words turned to a gasp as she grabbed his hand. "Rumple, look!" she pointed back over his shoulder, behind the diner to the skyline that had always been empty before. Now there was something there. A lit tower.

"Regina's castle," he muttered with wide eyes before turning back to Regina.

"What did you do?"

"I may have brought a few things with us from another world, or two, or three, or…all of them…a lot of them. Emma!"

She stared up at Rumple in confusion, overwhelmed by everything she saw and heard, but also sensed. Something big had happened. Something bigger than they knew! And she was trying so desperately hard to figure out what it all meant and what had happened, to identify the strangers and Hook's twin but it seemed simply impossible! At least so long as Regina was busy hugging everyone she saw.

"Regina, hi, welcome back," Emma muttered suddenly swallowed up in a hug that was just as unexpected as Rumple's had been.

"It has been a lot longer for me than it was for you. Trust me," she explained pulling away. "How's the baby?!"

"Baby?!" Snow questioned. She'd been standing by the side of the strange man, hugging the little girl, but it was clear that their attention was elsewhere.

"Yeah," the man smiled. "Do I have a brother or sister? I've only waited…what…twelve, fifteen years to know?"

The crowd was silent. Her mind was racing at the sound of the man's voice. She recognized it. Henry. It was Henry. Her grandson, all grown up. With that same hooked nose and cheekbones and..."brother or sister"...it could be no one else. Except for the fact that Henry was standing there dressed in armor, beside Regina. What on earth?

"Emma?!" David questioned joining Snow. His eyes were wide, and he was already smiling, just waiting for the words that would permit him to burst out with joy. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one with some surprises that awaited her.

"Oh…by the way…" she said folding her hands over her stomach to show off the bump there, "I'm pregnant."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Step Five: Bring everyone home but remember where they are in their stories are! Henry and Regina have the most complete memory out of everyone; that is they have the most understanding. Henry's tale is I got a weird phone call, graduated, my family disappeared, I left, grew up, saw my moms and stepdad, had a kid, we were cursed, season 7 happened, turns out I called myself, and here I am again. Regina is pretty close to that. Henry graduated, family disappeared, Henry left, went to help Henry, he was all grown up, all of season 7, Rumple dies, reunite the realms, and here we are. Understanding where everyone is in the story is vital as it shows exactly what they've experienced and where they're coming from. So Regina, at this point, knows almost everything because in season seven she meets Rumple in the Enchanted Forest and he tells her of their life. So in meeting him now and saying "wow I'm really glad to see you" she understands they're going to leave, Belle's going to die, and now knows he will succeed in his eventual task of getting back to Belle-a task he hasn't even begun yet. This was easily the most difficult task with this moment and with the next chapter, remembering what everyone knows and figuring out how much of it they'll tell when they have Rumple in their ear saying "don't share the future with people".
> 
> Thank you so much Taisch and Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. I'm so happy to see that so many are thrilled I didn't dismiss Gideon's first life. Like I said, in a few chapters, that's all going to be really important. There was actually more than one reason I did it, but we'll get to that later. First, let's get through the end of these tough chapters. Join me in the next chapter for the final step in piecing all this insanity together and for a nice little surprise that I think is going to make a few of you happy. Peace and Happy Reading!


	15. Reuniting Lands, Friends, and Families

Not long ago, she had read a chapter book to Gideon about a magical world inside a wardrobe. To the people in the real world, The Land Without Magic, they saw only an ordinary wooden wardrobe, no bigger or smaller than any wardrobe should have been. It was only once the children in their book stepped inside that they found a vast Kingdom, just as big and endless as their own world.

Storybrooke reminded her of that book now. Looking at it on a map, Storybrooke was no bigger or smaller than it had ever been, but being inside of it these days, it felt far bigger, and more magical, than it ever had.

Regina, much to the displeasure of everyone except for Rumple, didn't want to give too many details as to what had happened since she'd chosen to stay with Henry. She mentioned something about a journey she and Rumple were going to take, and she didn't want to ruin what would come of it, but she did tell them that Snow, David, and Zelena had been in the Wish Realm. The Wish Realm was where the younger Henry, dressed in chainmail, came from. He wasn't their grandson, or...he was, but he wasn't the grandson that they had seen off only a few months ago. He was a product of the Wish Realm, the realm that Emma and Regina had gone just after Gideon had been born. Time there had moved on and now…there they were. A wish version of Hook, the Evil Queen that Regina had sent away so many years ago now living with a different version of Robin Hood than they knew. They'd gotten stuck there and were all shocked that what had only seemed like a few days to them had actually been months. Her head hurt when they tried to sort out the way it all worked. The place Henry had actually gone to, another place similiar to the Enchanted Forest, was a realm where time moved faster than Storybrooke, thus how her grandson had aged, married, and had a child in only a matter of months. But in that land where they'd all been living happily, they'd been cursed with the same curse that Regina had once used on them. The only difference was that when the curse spit them out in The Land Without Magic, it had sent them back in time, which allowed a few of them to be in two places at once. People like Zelena and now, an older version of Robin who was taller than she was and wore glasses, they were all here now, while their counterparts had yet to leave to go on the journey they would be taking. But it wasn't just the people Regina had brought with her. They'd come along with castles and forests and landmarks she hadn't seen since she lived in the Enchanted Forest. They were all here!

"It was the only way," Regina explained to them as they sat around a picnic table a few days later, figuring out what all this meant for them. "I had to cast a curse to get us back without a bean and while I was at it…I figured why choose? Why should we constantly be asking ourselves where we want to be, cutting ourselves off from friends and family...why not have all the worlds here?"

"So you brought them all?" Rumple growled almost angrily.

"Well, almost all of the realms, or at least almost all of the realms that I knew about. Of the ones I knew about, I had to keep a few of the unsavory ones you told me about out of the mix, Neverland I left alone, though I did bring Skull Rock here considering what it does. The Land of Untold Stories was a bit of a risk considering time stops there completely. And I thought we'd leave Doctor Frankenstein to his own World Without Color-"

"The female population will thank you for that," Snow muttered.

"Wonderland is a bit too strange to blend in with this land, and, of course-"

"Ours!" the girl called Alice supplied with a smile. "Henry and the rest of us are there now in some way. Can't risk interference, might change Henry's destiny!"

"Or any of our destiny's actually," Charming corrected.

"Exactly!" Alice agreed. "It would be trouble if we all came face to face with our future selves, wouldn't it?! We're lucky your mum is in San Francisco!"

"Indeed, which reminds me that for the moment you could come face to face with your future self," Rumple warned looking at the much older version of Robin.

"Already thought of that, haven't we?!" Alice smiled before slipping her hand into Robins. The girl held it tightly and looked at it for a while before looking up at all of them.

To protect Zelena and Robin, they'd been sent away from this little meeting. Rumple believed that Zelena should have her memories of the last few months removed entirely, but she'd argued and in the end, promised not to divulge any of the little she knew of what was to come in the future. She probably wouldn't have won that argument if Regina hadn't stepped in to confirm that Zelena and the Charmings knowledge of future events was minimal. If it weren't for little Robin, Zelena probably could have stayed, but as it was, they all agreed it was best for her not to have any memories of herself, at least none that were clear. After Regina had agreed to house the two girls, Zelena had taken Robin home, but not before the older Robin had stepped forward to say her good-bye and stated almost nervously "just...if there is ever a time I run away, you'll need to cross realms to get me. Look for Regina when you get there. She'll help you, but none of this will have happened for her yet so..."

"Keep it quiet?" Zelena questioned with eyebrows raised. For a moment she could see the irritation on her face at being singled out and asked to leave, but a moment later she smiled at the girl. "I'll do that," Zelena promised before hugging an older version of her daughter, then swinging the younger version up in her arms and leaving the others to their meeting. Robin didn't seem to mind she was gone, she was too caught up in Alice, and as the girl had just said, it wasn't as if she was alone. The older version of Zelena, the one who would go after her in the future, it appeared, had been cursed with them and was in California with a new husband...a surprise she'd never thought she'd hear.

"We're going to leave Storybrooke," Robin finally answered. "We'll get married in Seattle then maybe move to San Francisco so I can be close to my mom and I...little me that is can…be close to my mom?" she questioned oddly looking over at Alice.

"Confusing innit," she commented in her strange accent, not that it was any more or less strange than what Robin had just said. Leave Storybrooke so she could spend some time with her mother in California while younger Robin stayed here to spend time with her mother in Storybrooke...odd, but it did seem to track all the same. "We'll take my father with us, and, if we've done the math right in our heads, in a few years, once the timeline has corrected in the proper ways, maybe we'll come back," Alice added. "I don't think Storybrooke is big enough for two Wicked Witches, eh?!"

"No, certainly not," she agreed. Some of it made sense, some of it still seemed like gibberish to her, but she was coming to believe that they were holding back for a reason, not telling them important details because they knew something that she didn't. Or did she? She had a feeling, a gut feeling that she knew what it was they knew. If they had spent so much time in Seattle during a curse and Tiana and Naveen had explained that they knew Rumple there, then where was his double?

"I'll come and visit when I can," Regina promised the girls.

"Aw, we'll be alright," Alice insisted. "We'll make our own little family until the time is right. We can make a life here in this world, we only need each other, right?" she insisted bumping Robin's shoulder playfully.

She smiled. "Good days and bad, better or worse," Robin confirmed before leaning in to kiss the girl. It was, to her an odd sort of love, something she certainly wasn't used to, but a love just the same. A love that she seemed to be getting used to.

"So what about the rest of the worlds then?" she questioned. Regina furrowed her brows together in question. "You said 'the ones you knew about' what about the ones you don't know about?"

Regina shrugged. "The curse is tailored toward what I know and what I want to become of what I know, so any realm that I don't know about, it just remains unexplored, safe in their own little world."

"For their better if not ours," Rumple muttered.

And that was where it ended. Questions went purposefully unanswered, the muddle that came from their confusion remained muddled "for our own good" Rumple proclaimed. Robin and Neal got their parents back, Emma's mother fawned over her belly, Alice, Robin, and the Hook look-a-like left the next day back to California. All that was left was to begin to sort and clean up the messes before them. Many lands that had once been there own and were now joined together in this new realm they knew nothing about. It was chaos.

Regina did her fair share of helping in the month that followed. Because she had cast the curse that uprooted everyone she saw herself as responsible for governing it and making it all work between them. The younger version of Henry (which really wasn't "younger" at all to them) chose to live with Regina. As they explored the new lands that the realms had formed in their once small town he seemed comfortable. He knew the clothes and the customs, the language even! And he seemed to enjoy getting to know Regina, trusting her as a mother figure just as his older version did.

Thanksgiving that year was a remarkable affair but how could it not have been? Held at Granny's just like it always was, they were vastly aware that their table had grown to incorporate two new Henrys, Uncle Henry and Henry was how they'd solved the problem. It wasn't easy to explain to the kids that the Henry they knew and loved and saw before them wasn't their Uncle Henry that they'd known. This Henry, now living with Regina and taking classes to get a GED was different, he didn't know them, though he was coming to. Uncle Henry, on the other hand, was who they knew and loved and was trying his best to prove it by taking the kids, all of them, including his own, Lucy, for ice cream and to the movies when he could. It was working, it was bound to with that kind of bribery, but they often found themselves confused. For once she could honestly say that she understood the confusion and wasn't positive they'd ever fully understand it, but they'd adapt to it, that much she knew. She knew it because they already were adjusting quite well to the new lands inside Storybrooke. The castles, the magic, the fairies, even those who wandered into the grocery store in peasant dresses, it was odd for them, the same life they'd always led, but different now. Not bad, just different.

Having both Lucy and Jacinda, Uncle Henry's wife, at the dinner table wasn't bad at all, they were lovely! Even with the new faces they'd brought. The second that the people in Hyperion Heights knew they were making a home in Storybrooke, some of them, including Tiana and Naveen had begun to pour into their town as well. Tiana, who preferred to go by Sabine in this world had sold her food truck and moved with Naveen, who had taken up the name Drew, here to Storybrooke. The pair had bought a new food truck here that made some of the best beignets and cajun food she'd ever tasted while not being anywhere near the bayou. And though Granny wouldn't admit to it, she knew the old woman enjoyed the quiet but heated competition they had. Drew and Sabine counted themselves as part of Henry's family, so they thought of them as family too. Lucy saw Sabine as an aunt and had been happy to have them back in her life, but she was excited that Lucy was eager to investigate the family she had here too. She enjoyed getting to know Lucy as best she could, despite the fact that the family refused to tell them a lot of their past.

"It's our past, but your future, grandma…just trust me on this. Someday you'll understand, and until then…spend as much time with Lucy as you can," Henry had come to saying when she pried a bit too much. But it was startling. She was smart, and words like that said with the tone that he'd had suggested that at some point they wouldn't have time to spend together. And when Lucy watched Rumple with some sense of recognition but her with none…she'd gotten that ominous feeling again. Still, she tried to put it behind her and listen to Henry in all his wisdom. It was startling, but one day it would make sense, she had to trust that, and she didn't want to look back on these times thinking that she'd wasted time trying to think through it logically. Instead, she'd accepted it, at least as best she could. She'd only just gotten used to the fact that her son was younger than her grandson when he'd appeared again with her great-granddaughter in tow who was also older than her son. Luckily, Lucy had a love of books, and she loved to come to the library after school, that made it easy to bond.

They were a complicated family, soon to be made even more complicated if Emma's growing stomach had anything to say about it. She was six months pregnant and still had several months yet to go, but sometimes she didn't think she could get any bigger. Rapunzel, now pregnant three months, hadn't yet started to show, but she knew that she was across town getting ready to tell her parents who, she was sure, were bound to be utterly thrilled at the news. Yes, they were an odd family, downright strange with all that had happened, but she wouldn't change any of it for a second! The chatter throughout the conversations at the table was too entertaining.

"Actually, it was a woman who taught me to fight with a sword on my family farm," David explained to Drew and Henry.

"So we're thinking about moving to another part of Storybrooke, maybe taking up residence in our castle again!" Snow smiled talking to Regina. "Storybrooke is so big now, and some are still living so primitively! I can help establish schools if I'm out among them!"

"Some? Entire towns don't have power or running water! Can't imagine living without them. Once you have electricity, you'll never go back!" Zelena toasted.

"I can't eat cranberries right now," Emma scowled passing a bowl along.

"Ugh, I understand, with Lucy I couldn't even look at pudding," Jacinda admitted taking it from her.

"If you want my beignet recipe you're going to have to get it the old fashioned way," Sabine stated laughing with Granny. "Bake, taste test, and repeat."

"Gideon, Neal! Eat your food don't play with it!" Killian yelled across the room, finally quieting the crowd and drawing their attention to the booth the kids were sitting in. Apparently, Gideon and Neal were attempting to build a tower out of their mashed potatoes and turkey. They stopped immediately, and Gideon glanced over toward her and Rumple as if wondering whether or not they'd heard. She glared her disapproval back at him, and he slumped in his seat, eating his food the way he'd been told. For Gideon, sometimes a look was all it took. They were fortunate in that way. Not every parent could-

Behind them her the bell to the diner rang, and she turned automatically to see who had arrived. She nearly dropped her fork when she saw who it was.

"Belle?" Rumple questioned, but she barely heard him, or felt the hand that slipped into her own and squeezed, as tears gathered in her eyes and she swore her heart stopped. Little by little the sound in the diner died away as they all turned to stare at the woman before them. For some, the face before them was familiar, for others, the visitor was a stranger, but for one person…it was always her granddaughter.

"Sorry we're late," Ruby smiled awkwardly. "We had to cross a lake that's turned into a sea on our way from the Emerald City." She watched in silence as a woman she'd never seen before with dark brown hair wearing a checkered dress came up behind her and reached out to grab her hand. Ruby held it tight as she looked around the room. The red hood draped over her shoulders looked just as she remembered it. So did Ruby. "Full table, sorry we didn't exactly get the RSVP…could you…could you spare a couple of extra chairs?"

In all her life, all the time that she'd known her, she'd never seen Granny cry. But the woman now stepped around the rest of them, put her knobby old hands over Ruby's cheek as if to make sure what they were all seeing was real. It was only then that she noticed Ruby had tears in her eyes too.

"I've missed you, Granny," she muttered dropping the strange woman's hand and holding her grandmother's in her own so she might kiss them.

"You're skinny as a rail. Did they run out of food in that Emerald City of yours?" Granny choked out, only then did she hear the sob the old woman let out as the two women embraced. The quiet that had once stolen over the diner was slowly lifted as Killian made a comment about grabbing more tables and Henry stated he'd get extra chairs. The second Granny had let her go and offered her to the room Snow was quick to take her place.

"It's good to see you again," Snow whispered, though not quite enough for her not to hear. As the furniture moved Snow looked behind her to the woman and exclaimed. "Dorothy! It's great to see you again! Welcome to Storybrooke!"

"A little more than just Storybrooke these days and...oh!" she exclaimed as Snow threw her arms around her. "A hugger!" Ruby giggled at the girl's expression before turning back and then it was her turn.

Being closest to the door she had a distinct feeling, from the small breath that Ruby sucked in when she saw her that she hadn't seen her until she stood. There was a moment of shock on her face, and then she broke into a wide smile. Then a chuckle and finally a laugh before she reached forward and hugged her so tight that she thought her back might crack!

"I thought I'd never see you again!" she cried.

"So did I!" Ruby confirmed. "Oh, here!" she pulled away and sniffled a bit as she reached back. "This is Dorothy! My uh...my partner in crime these days! And partner in other things..."

She would have been shocked if not for all the changes that she'd been adapting to lately. In fact, if it wasn't for Gideon who ran over and cried out "Mama who are those people?" behind her she'd have been downright stunned. She turned her head at the call to answer him but before she could Ruby shouted out "'Mama'?! I guess we've all got our stories, don't we?" she exclaimed looking down at Rumpelstiltskin.

"I guess so," she breathed.

"Yes, we do…" Dorothy added over Ruby's shoulder. She wasn't looking at the pair of them, but rather staring down the table, her eyes on Zelena. Zelena stared right back. Hadn't they said they'd come from the Emerald City? This was going to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did tell you there was a nice surprise for you there at the end. The return of Ruby! Did I deliver? There is more on Ruby coming at you tomorrow, but for now a final word on our timeline. Now that we're done with it, let me present it to you in the simplest possible form I can before we put it to rest permanently. Hyperion Heights arrives in our world, the result of a curse, 2017/2018. Somewhere in this time Older Henry publishes his book. The present events of season seven take place during the 2018-2019 school year (because the curse is cast on Lucy's 8th birthday but throughout season seven she is referred to as 9/10, we also know it was a school year because one of the first episodes features Halloween and one of the last, graduation). June 2019, Younger Henry receives the call from Older Henry. June 2019, the curse is broken in Hyperion Heights, Older Henry and family (Hook, Rumple, Regina included) encounter trouble in the wish realm courtesy of Wish!Rumple. June 2019, Younger Henry graduates from High School. June 2019, Younger Henry takes a graduation trip with Regina, Hook, and Emma. While he is away Robin and Alice come and take Zelena, Charming, and Snow to the Wish Realm to help save Older Henry and family. August 15th Younger Henry turns 18 and soon after he leaves through a portal to a new world. In this new world time moves erratically so Younger Henry ages quickly into Older Henry. September 2019 Emma, Regina, Hook summoned to help Younger Henry who has just met Cinderella. Regina stays, Emma and Hook return home quickly. Younger Henry continues to age in new world, he and Cinderella have a baby. On Lucy's 8th birthday the curse is cast and they are sent to Hyperion Heights (arriving in the year 2017/2018). October 23, 2019, Emma's birthday, after Rumple's death, Regina casts the spell in the Wish Realm to unite not all but most of the lands that are compatible with ours. Wish realm events take place during all of this.
> 
> From this point on there is only one timeline to follow. It may seem complicated, but I've thought through this, and it solves everything so long as Regina does not unite ALL the realms. And I felt that was an acceptable liberty and assumption to make simply because Regina is smart. She should know, after listening to Rumple's warnings about timelines, that she can't disrupt them. And because of where her scene in the Wish Realm cuts off I found it plausible for her to have a "What if I bring all of them" "But then that will disrupt the timelines" "So I'll only bring a few of them" conversation with Henry. This way EF2 is still going on strong with all of them there because they got sent back in time. Not uniting all the realms also explains why Belle and Rumple need to use beans later, it also explains why we see Rumple take a portal to EF 2 and Henry and Cinderella take a portal to Wonderland. This also takes care of the doubles that would have been in Storybrooke (if EF2 weren't still it's own realm that means Younger Henry is out there still aging with a copy of Cinderella and half the people at the table) with the exception of 3 individuals. Robin and Zelena are duplicated as is Hook. However, in the current timeline Zelena is in San Fran with her new hubby so by Robin and Alice and Hook moving up there and saying that they will "return when the timeline corrects itself" it means they'll go and when Robin is 18 and goes off to the EF2. Because EF2 is still a land of its own and Zelena follows her knowing her sister is there, then the timeline will have corrected itself and it'll be safe for those in San Fran to return to Storybrooke. Their duplication will take care of itself. Hook, I assume, they'll just treat as a twin of sorts. Whew! I'm exhausted. How do you feel? I hope you've enjoyed the fix of the plot hole for season 7, from here things are really much more straight forward. Peace and Happy Reading!


	16. A Long Awaited Surprise

There was a lot to share, but the good thing about Ruby's tale was that she could share it. It wasn't something of the future that had to be kept secret, just something that needed explaining. And after more than a month of hearing excuse after excuse for why she couldn't hear someone's story, it was a relief to be able to sit down with someone and hear an uncheck, unedited, unworried story.

The tale of how Ruby and Dorothy had met was interesting though it was Zelena who insisted that they not talk about around the children. Dorothy was offended and suspicious at the request, wondering if she was trying to hide what she'd done. She rebuked her say she wasn't and most people already knew, but her daughter didn't. With a hand squeeze from Ruby Dorothy had sympathy and dropped the conversation so they could return to dinner. It was days after Thanksgiving that she finally got the full story and what an impressive one it was. And old! Dating all the way back to when they'd gone to the Underworld! She'd had no idea that Ruby had even been there! And vise versa. Ruby hadn't even been aware she was pregnant then, though the pronouncement came as little surprise to her.

"I swear if I had known I'd have come to your aid!"

"It's all in the past now," she reassured her over lunch. "Things have turned out the way they should, for both of us it seems."

"Yes," she smiled, "though it may take a little while for Dorothy to accept Zelena as…good. Might take both of us a little while actually."

"It took us all a long while, she'll come around we all have!"

It was going to be a slow process. There was no doubt about it. But Regina was working hard, traveling Kingdom to Kingdom with Henry trying to figure out the government unification side of things as there were so many who did not want to simply buy a house in Storybrooke and forget who they were or where they were from. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Ruby and Dorothy fell into that category. Ruby had no interest in taking up her old life in Storybrooke. She and Dorothy had been living in the land of Oz when the curse struck and that was where they wanted to remain…even if Oz was now Storybrooke. It simply meant that they'd be visiting more often thanks to the new curse, or "blessing" as Granny was coming to call it after all of this.

Even she had to admit that "blessing" was starting to sound a lot better for it than "curse" did.

But she wondered if she was the only one who felt that way sometimes. As she grew more and more to accept what they'd been given, Rumple seemed to grow restless. It wasn't long after Thanksgiving that she'd begun to notice a change in her husband, one that scared her, if she was honest. He was looking for something. She wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly, but there was something. She'd found him in the back of his shop when she met him for lunch combing through the books that he owned, slamming each one of them down onto the table in frustration. She did feel a bit of reassurance when his search began to bring him to the library. He obviously was looking for something but wasn't trying to hide it. It was something at least. And in the dusty back room where she kept her own magic books his searches were gentler, but still, she could see the frustration growing behind his eyes.

"If I knew what you were looking for I could help you," she'd finally informed him one afternoon.

"If I needed a librarian I'd fetch you," he growled, dismissing her as if she was an irritating fly.

He paid for that careless comment later, after Gideon had gone to bed, and she'd told him if he ever spoke to her like that again he'd find himself sleeping on the couch for a week. He'd apologized, but she still could not get him to tell her what he was seeking. A week later, after Gideon had gone to bed, she'd picked her nose out of the book she was reading and realized that her husband wasn't at his wheel or his work station. He was nowhere to be found. She'd looked all over the house and finally came to only one place she hadn't checked — the basement.

It had been years since she'd felt the heat and rapid cooling of that knob beneath her fingers. There had been very little need for what was in that room in their lives since Gideon. Which was why even though it was the last place she'd looked for him she was shocked that he was there, going through the books.

"You haven't been down here in years."

"No…I haven't had a need to," he answered without even looking over his shoulder at her.

The answer chilled her, and she leaned against the post holding the stairs together with her arms crossed as she watched him.

"Now there's a need?" she probed.

"More a curiosity than a need at this point."

For six years they'd lived together in harmony, he'd been the perfect husband, a model father, and suddenly he was looking into magic again. It wasn't that he'd stopped doing magic, but he didn't particularly like doing it without her. The fact that he was searching for something and wouldn't tell her what, was making her nervous. She felt shields that she'd not felt in years begin to go back up.

"Rumple…what are you up to?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

She rolled her eyes. After years of honesty with no secrets, responses like that made her worry. He had to know that!

"Rumple…"

"It's a curiosity, Belle," he assured her spinning around. "One that obviously I haven't figured out yet." He couldn't' find what he was looking for, but she took note of the fact that he still wasn't telling her what he was looking for or why.

"Rumple…"

"Belle," he walked forward and rubbed her crossed arms until she surrendered her hands to him. "It's nothing to worry about. For you or the town or Gideon. After all these years haven't I earned that?"

Yes. Yes, he had earned that, but she didn't like the fact that there were secrets in their lives again after they'd done so well after all these years. "Secrets only grow, Rumpelstiltskin."

"This isn't a secret," he assured to. "This is just something I'm waiting for the right time to tell you."

After that night he appeared to have given up, whatever it was he was looking for, a book, she assumed, didn't appear to be anywhere he could find it. The holidays came and went, she suggested that they take a break, a family vacation as they always had this time of year to get out of Storybrooke, before Emma had her baby. For the first time that she could remember, he refused.

"I'm planning something, but I'm just not sure now is the right time, Belle," he explained after Gideon had gone to bed.

"Care to elaborate on this plan of yours?" she requested from her easy chair.

"Not yet…but soon, soon it will be clear."

His secrets unnerved her. If she was honest, they downright irritated her. A vacation, she was sure was exactly what he needed right now, but with the time wasted Gideon returned to school after his break, and she watched as Rapunzel began to grow around the middle, finally showing as Emma swelled more and more every day, it seemed. The baby would be there soon. There was a lot to be done for her, but she had the blessing of time that she had not been awarded when pregnant with Gideon. And frankly, the more she watched her belly bulge, the more and more she was nearly grateful that her pregnancy had been short and not months long.

Still, Rumple found a time just after the new year while Gideon was out playing with friends to present her with a box. She'd panicked for a moment, fearing that she'd forgotten an anniversary or birthday but he assured her all was well, it was merely a surprise. She'd beamed as she untied the ribbon on the box and pulled the top off, searching through the tissue paper until she felt her jaw drop in shock. She looked up at him then back into the box, wondering if she was seeing things. When she was certain she wasn't, she began to take what she found in the box out piece by piece for inspection, expecting it was some modern fashion of the beloved one she'd worn so long ago, but it wasn't. This was her own.

"My blue dress!" she gasped with a smile looking it over.

"It's not yours exactly," he admitted sadly. "It's a replica. Yours I have searched for years for all over Storybrooke and cannot find. But you'll need something like it for where we're going so I crafted you a new one out of a similar garment."

Replica or not it was lovely and exactly as she remembered her own! But her awe at seeing it again was not so mind-numbing that she hadn't heard what he'd just said.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"On a surprise journey, just the two of us." Just the two of them. It had been a while since they'd done something like that. They'd had a talk about it, in fact, just a few months ago, that since Gideon started school she'd wanted desperately to have a trip for the two of them alone. He'd followed through. In a big way, by the looks of it. She couldn't imagine why she'd need her blue dress if it wasn't meant to be big in some way.

"When?" she demanded excitedly.

"Next week. Just for one night, but I've already asked Rapunzel to keep Gideon."

The arrangements seemed already made. He assured her that she had nothing to do except countdown until that day arrived and prepare Gideon. Not that Gideon needed much preparation, he had his own fair share of toys and games at Rapunzel's house, and when the day came, all she had to bring over was a change of clothes and his pillow.

"Do you know where he's taking me?" she asked of her friend as she rubbed her belly.

"Nope! Just that I'm supposed to keep Gideon here and guard him with my life, as always." Dramatic certainly sounded like her husband. No matter the questions she asked in the last week she was met with the same amount of information as she'd originally had. A one-night journey for the two of them in which she'd need her blue dress. The only extra detail she'd managed to get out of him was that he didn't want her to be seen in the dress until the time came. So, after Gideon was out of school and safely at Rapunzel's they set off…back to their house?

"I don't understand…" she voiced sadly. , with nothing but a small suitcase for each of them that carried their only a set of clothes, since he'd assured her she wouldn't need anything else, they got into their car and drove. Soon enough she realized where the familiar road would lead and wondered in confusion and suspicion of what was really going on. She needed her blue dress, he'd said, but she couldn't think of any reason why it was necessary for her to have that dress at the cabin. Unless...

Unless he wasn't taking her to the cabin. This dress wasn't something she'd wear down on Main Street in Storybrooke but over the last couple of months as she'd watched her friends go to and from the outer areas of Storybrooke where the other realms had set themselves down she'd seen them wearing clothes like they used to in their world. She hadn't been to any of those places yet but supposedly they were like stepping back in time. They had no power, no pumbing, no roads, certainly nothing you'd see in a fifth avenue fashion store in New York! There was something else going on? Was that it?

"Where are we really going?" she questioned when he stopped the car out front.

"What makes you think we're not staying here?" he questioned sheepishly.

"Because you can bring me here any time, and unless you've developed a sudden interest in role-playing that I don't know about, I don't need my blue dress to be up here."

He shrugged. "Role-playing isn't a bad idea now that you mention it."

"Rumple…" she warned in the tone that he jokingly called her "mother voice".

"We're here because we need space, and quiet, and I do want the town to believe we're out of it for our own safety, and for them not to know where we're going for their own sanity."

"Because…"

He glanced at her as if considering how much he wanted to tell her, if anything. "It's just a precaution Belle, we'll use magic to get where we're going, but this is much more secluded."

"Secretive, you mean."

"That too…"

She didn't like the taste of this; she didn't like that he'd been sneaking around and wouldn't tell her why but deep down she had the feeling that where they were going had something to do with it, and so she wasn't going to oppose it now. Compromise was the key to their marriage, and while she had no idea what he was planning or fretting over, she trusted her husband's intentions, if nothing else. And selfishly…she was perhaps a little too eager to wear her blue dress again.

Inside the cabin, they changed. The dress fit her just as it always had. She was fortunate that she hadn't grown or expanded in the ways that she was aware most woman did as they aged and for the most part was exactly as she was the last time she'd worn this dress…until she looked in the mirror.

She had changed, not like other woman but in her own way. It was a funny thing about wearing old clothes that when one looked in the mirror it tricked the mind into thinking the reflection would be identical to what had been seen the last time and it only made the differences stand out more. Her face had changed, not its shape or its color just in a way that made her look a bit more ragged, more worn than she'd been before. And then there was the most undeniable change, her hair. Over the years she'd developed a few gray hairs here and there but at the moment they seemed to be collecting by her left eye in a streak no greater than the size of her pinky finger. Of course, she knew it was there all the time, usually it didn't bother her, in fact even as she looked herself over now it didn't bother her, not exactly. But she found herself far more aware of it and the time that was passing when she wore this dress than usual. She'd been a girl last time, a girl who thought she was a woman and had no idea the trials that she would really face that would mold her into the woman she was today. She didn't know all that would come to her with simply a blue dress.

Putting her vanity aside she left the bedroom and found Rumpelstiltskin in the living room. He was a sight as well. Leather pants like the kind he used to wear, with boots laced up to his knees. He wore a white shirt that was ruffled around the edges, a scarf that was tied around his neck and disappeared into his vest and over top of it all was a jacket made of scales, thick and tough. She recognized it instantly as the one he'd brought back from Neverland all those years ago. He was layered once more, his back straight, he resembled the odd little being he'd been the first time they met far more than her husband, but she smiled nonetheless as she watched him because though he looked the same, she knew he wasn't. He'd changed too.

"I thought we got rid of this?" she muttered as she came over to him and gave a tug on the jacket.

"I never get rid of anything. What is it? A 'pack rat' you call me?" he smiled back. She nodded and meant to respond but he'd already turned and placed his hands on her waist. "A vision," he muttered looking her over, his eyes without surprise, landing on the place her breasts pushed against her bodice. "A beautiful one I never thought I'd see again."

"Something you like, Rumpelstiltskin?" she questioned as he arranged her perfectly so that her root of escape and way back to Gideon would be perfectly hidden no matter what they encountered.

"Two things actually, to be explored a bit later perhaps," he pulled her forward and kissed her then, and she felt the blush rise up into her cheeks just as she first did decades ago. This was how she pictured they'd turn out, not in Storybrooke or even in his castle, but together in a cabin in the woods, satisfied with only each other. This moment truly was the realization of a vision.

But it was cut short when he pulled away and rose to take her hands. "If you're ready…"

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be ready for," she admitted in a chastising voice that reminded him just how secretive he'd been about all of this.

"I'm afraid you're just going to have to trust me, and be surprised. Take this…" in his hands she saw a piece of fabric, one that matched her dress perfectly. She hadn't seen him conjure it as she'd been too absorbed in what he was wearing, nearly as guilty as staring as she was, but as he unfurled it and draped it over her back and shoulders she realized it was a shawl. "If my suspicions are correct, it'll be a fair bit colder where we're going," he explained.

"And where is that?!" she demanded again as she adjusted it comfortably over her arms.

"Care to find out?" he questioned offering his arm to her. Shawl settled over her shoulders, Gideon cared for in their absence, confident in her husband's plans whatever they may be…yes, she was ready to find out what he had in mind. She wrapped her hand around his arm, and for the first time in many years, she felt the familiar sensation of magic taking them far from where they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't want to create any chapters in this fiction that did what these two do, chapters that end and then begin with each other right away, but I found that with these chapters I had no choice. They were already long enough on their own and if I'd put them together we were talking over seven thousand words! I know I said I had no word count goals for these chapters, well...I guess I lied in some way because it was too much even for me. So, where are the Gold's going? I guess you will have to find out in the next chapter.
> 
> Thank you to Ada_asgard and Goldenspinner for your comments. I feel like if I knew you in real life I would send all of you gold stars for navigating the plot hole closure so well. It wasn't easy but here we are on the other side of it! Now the next big thing to happen is the Gold family departure but since Gideon is currently six and we know that doesn't really happen until ten, then we know we've got a bit to go. However, we are going to start introducing that idea in a bit so stay tuned to the next chapter to find out where Rumple is taking our dear Belle. Peace and Happy Reading!


	17. Journey to Their Past

It had been a long time since she'd traveled by magic, but she remembered the familiar sensation of the air shifting around her and the ground moving, reforming, beneath her feet. When the fog cleared, she was in a black place. Not black, just night. Just as it had when they'd left only without the city lights to make the sky dark blue instead of black. Suddenly she realized that they hadn't actually left Storybrooke, just gone somewhere new in it. Though…he was right, wherever they were was quite a bit colder than home.

"Belle." She glanced over to see him illuminated in the darkness by a bright white moon, his hand extended to her. "Are you alright?" he asked as she took his hand and then moved instead to support her weight on his arm.

"I'll be fine. Where are we?" It was only after she took a step that she realized there was slushy half-melted snow on the ground around her. She wasn't in the proper footwear for snow; her toes would be soaked through in no time at all.

"I imagine it'll look familiar soon enough," he answered mysteriously. Together they walked on through the snow and the cold. She was thankful there was no wind as the shawl he'd given her was thin, but with every step more and more snow slipped into her shoes. When she finally had to sit on a log to clean them out, he realized the mistake he'd made and volunteered to fix it for her. But she refused and promised she'd be alright and that was when she made a realization of her own.

"You brought the dagger?" she questioned, seeing it there in his boot.

He nodded. "It seemed appropriate for this trip…a precaution. And I always bring it when we leave Storybrooke."

Yes. He did. But in her mind, they were still in Storybrooke.

He was able to take her mind off of it easily by reaching down and lifting her heroically off the log. "It's not much farther," he assured her caring her through the drifts. Her mind did think to argue. She was a woman, not a damsel in distress…but he was warm, and she promised herself that if she wasn't freezing and incapable of feeling her toes, she would have insisted on walking. For now, she was content to hug his neck and let him lead the way. Finally, the snow began to clear away, and they fumbled out of the woods onto a path. Though it wasn't shoveled as it would have been in the main city of Storybrooke the snow there was far patchier, and she could walk around it with his help. When he set her down she let her eyes wander around their surroundings. They were on a mountain, a series of mountains really, with a valley and river below. And up the path…

She lost her breath and tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she saw where it was he'd brought her and she looked around not with wonder but recognition. Up ahead, less than a mile was a stone wall, with tall wooden doors that she knew by heart for there was a time she'd stared at them, willing them to open for her. He'd brought them home.

"Your castle," she breathed.

"Yes," he answered back. "There is something I need to retrieve from it, something I left behind, and I thought it would make a nice overnight trip."

She didn't answer. She didn't think she had to. It was a nice a trip to make overnight but considering the events that had happened the last time they'd been here she didn't imagine that he'd ever want to return. He'd been Zelena's prisoner then, half mad from sharing his mind with Neal. She certainly wouldn't want to return to a place like that.

And yet onward he moved, trudging through snow, leading them up the path with her on his arm. She looked over the mountains, the valley below utterly astonished by what Regina had managed to bring over and the vastness of Storybrooke now that she had. It was as if nothing had changed! Though from Main Street she could see two castles and a harbor, here there wasn't a sight of the home they'd known for so long. How this magic worked was beyond her, some part of her even sensed this might be new magic, something never created for, a "blessing" just as Granny called it. It was extraordinary. The castle, on the other hand, was less than extraordinary...

His castle was in a sorry state. It still stood, of course, even with some patches of the roof missing in certain places, it was made of stone and obviously still sturdy. But the years of abandonment had not been kind to it. The doors at the gate groaned to life at their presence in a way that reminded her of an old man attempting to move again after a still night of sleep. The gardens she'd once worked so hard to create and help flourish were filled with dead plants and brittle, lifeless sticks, mere shadows of what they'd once been. And the walls of their once beautiful home were beginning to find their downfall. Green covered them. Ivy climbed up the walls and green algae from wind and rain never properly cleaned dripped down from the roof's overhang. It would take decades, maybe even a century or two, but even she knew that one day, ivy, the grass and plants growing at the foundation, would begin to crack and topple the walls and then all that they knew would perish.

But what about her husband…

It was a dark thought that came to her as she moved up the stone stairs with him. Changed or not he was still the Dark One, and she was still herself. Though Lacey had wanted him to keep her young forever and he had the power to, that wish had not been granted because it was not her wish. She wanted to grow old with him; it was one of the reasons she didn't mind the gray hairs she found so much. But she was suddenly vastly aware that the changes had tricked her mind, helped her to forget for a moment…she was aging, he was not and would not.

The doors to the foyer opening hit her with a blast of old air, and she held tight to him as they finally entered. It wasn't quiet, but the noises they heard weren't necessarily bad either. Birds in the rafters were flapping their wings and flying away in shock and surprise. And though she didn't want to particularly think of it, the scuttling she heard on the floor seemed to be nothing but mice.

They were alone. And she hadn't realized that he'd expected to find someone there until she felt him relax beside her and walk deeper inside practically leaving her on the threshold. That must have been why he'd taken them to the outside of the castle first. His magic could take them anywhere the mind imagined, including inside the walls of the castle, so why had he delivered them in the middle of the woods, outside in the snow? There was no reason for it unless he feared an ambush. Surprising...she thought that he would have protected this place from that. From people, from age, from ruin...had he stopped his spells? Had they weakened over time?

A torch. She hadn't realized there had been one there on the ground until he'd reached down and picked it up. That would be helpful for some of their stay, especially if they were intending to spend the night here. But looking around, a trip that she'd been excited about suddenly seemed sad. She'd loved this place, to see it in such disarray and abandonment was almost too much for her to take and yet…yet things were different.

The doors to the great hall were missing, and she remembered the arrow that Robin had shot at them making them erupt in fire when they'd last been here. But when she looked in the hall, she found no trace of the cage that Rumple had been kept in when he was there, no trace of potions, or spell books as she'd remembered. Instead the table sat empty and dusty in the center of the room. There was a broken spinning wheel against one wall, it was in pieces and charred as if it had been used for a fire. The curtains were torn, some still hanging and pulled back, others had fallen to the floor, scraps of what they'd once been. And her chair…

That was the item that made her breath catch and propelled her forward. Her chair was at its place by the fire but turned on its side, and she immediately moved to right it quickly. It was just as heavy as it had always been, but when she got it on all four legs again she realized it was wobbly, it's joints shaking with an instability it had never possessed before. Still, some things didn't change, and despite the feeling of cold and wet sadness around her, at her back, the fireplace roared to life in her presence just as they'd been bewitched to do since the time she walked these halls as a maid.

Its warmth was a comfort, and she was immediately drawn to sit down before it and let it warm her skin, then held her stocking feet up to it, hoping that they might dry a bit so that she would feel her toes again. The fire was so warm she didn't want to tear her eyes off of it, but behind her, she heard a noise and quickly turned to see Rumple putting the chaise she'd once used for reading in another room on its feet again. She watched as he reached out and sadly grabbed what appeared to be a stool with a leg missing, perhaps the same one he'd sat upon when she first kissed him. She felt like they were ghosts here, in their fine clothes, she felt like she wasn't herself, but rather a memory of who she'd once been. But Rumple…

It was at that moment that she realized he wasn't the memory, the image of who he'd once been and she sprang to her feet immediately at the realization and came forward to put her hands on his cheeks and neck and then his chest as she looked him over.

"Why do you look like this?" she questioned. He hadn't changed. His skin was just as olive as it was when they left, his eyes just as beautiful and brown. She had a funny moment of hope where she wondered if it was possible that his curse had been broken and they didn't know about it, but knew that was silly because there was no way they wouldn't know it. He had, after all, just used his magic to bring them here. Perhaps the silliness in all of this was why she'd never thought to ask these questions before. Looking at him now it was a curiosity that seemed stupid after all the years they'd been married.

"My magic can hide the scaring of the Dark One if I choose to," he answered taking her hands in his own. "The man who tricked me and passed the curse on to me used it to hide his true self so I wouldn't know his true identity."

His hands were warm, and he was using them to warm her own as he kissed them, but she was still busy staring up at the face of her husband, a face he apparently had access to even when she'd known him and yet hadn't used.

"Why?" she breathed.

He chuckled. "So he could fool me into taking the curse for him I imagine."

"No…" she shook her head and stepped forward, moving her hands under his jacket so she could feel his body and not those stiff scales. It was the same body, the same skin she knew so well and yet all at once it felt brand new. "You've been hiding it here ever since your brought magic to Storybrooke all those years ago. Why didn't you hide it before then in our world? Did you ever?" she exclaimed realizing that for all she knew he did. She'd only ever seen him here for a short while in their world, less than a year, and of course that one time in her father's palace but then he'd obviously looked cursed. Was it done for comfort? Much like when they first arrived home in the evenings and took off their shoes and coats so they could be comfortable. Did it hurt him to look like this? Did it feel unnatural?

"Rarely," he answered. "I only hid it when it was necessary and even then I usually used a different face or simply a cloak. I didn't see the point in hiding what I was from the world."

"But now you do?" she wondered out loud.

"The curse it affects the body, changes over time, so that sometimes it's better worse based on the temptation to use the magic, the deals that go unanswered for, the darkness of the magic that is used. I've not been tempted by darkness for so long that it barely takes a thought to hide it these days. And you know who I am Belle, inside and out. I know that. In many ways you have been a cure." He kissed her hands again then reached out and delicately drew the shawl he'd given her around her shoulders tighter. "Let's do what we came here to do," he muttered putting an arm around her.

Together they moved through the castle, each distracted by little things. She found a book on the floor that she'd meant to return to her library before they'd shared their kiss and he'd kicked her out. She stopped to collect it, holding it tight to her chest as if she were rescuing it. He was attracted to a piece of wool which was brown and slashed several times. It was musty and smelled, and it was only when he held it up that she recognized it as the once golden fleece that had been part of his collection. They saw enough that by the time they made it to his tower, she had her doubts that anything he'd come to retrieve would be in the same spot that it had once been in. But once they arrived at the entrance to the staircase that would take them up, and found themselves confronted with a stone wall memories began to return to her. She remembered being here with Bae, searching the castle and her library and finding that he'd placed magic around the areas that had meant the most to him, sealing them off for safekeeping. Her room, the dungeons, which had also once served as her room, her library, his bedroom, Neal's bedroom, and of course his tower…they should all have been protected. Even when Zelena had been in this castle they'd seen lights lit on in his West Wing but never in his private rooms. Those had remained dim. And she'd used a western tower, but not his own. Those had remained safe from the Wicked Witch of the West.

Fascinated by the memory, she was the one to reach out and put her hand to the place she knew the door was hiding, disguised by magic. At her touch it began to appear, the magic sprang to life just as the fireplaces still did and in the narrow staircase he took her hand and led her up the stairs.

His tower was still perfect. Maybe not exactly as she remembered, as it had still been a working workshop when she'd left. But it was still his own, clearly. A spinning wheel in the corner still sat in proper working order, golden thread pouring into the basket beneath it. There were books on the shelves, though she could see large entire sections missing, and knew those must have been the ones that had been carried over and were back at the house. The table was littered with dusty glass baubles and vials, the liquid they'd once held gone dry with age. About the only difference she could sense, was the hole in the roof and the birds nesting in the rafters of his former sanctuary.

He, unlike her, was not distracted, he'd gone right to the fireplace and began to prod the mantel. "What is it you are looking for exactly?" she questioned, glancing precariously up at the birds.

"It's a book. I hid it away in this tower while you were here, during a brief moment of sanity, against the pleasure of the voices of the Dark Ones."

Her stomach rolled again. The voices were against him hiding something away. That didn't sound particularly promising if he was trying to find something they wanted him to have...

"The voices wanted you to use it?" she assumed.

"They wanted me to destroy it," he corrected. "I managed to hide it, but it wasn't something I wanted in the curse, even by accident, so I cast a spell over it. After Zelena's curse and my mother's I figured I'd look for it again in Storybrooke, to see if it came over in the resets."

"That's what you've been searching the library for."

"Yes, but it wasn't there so then naturally I knew it had to be…here."

She jumped as his prodding along the mantle finally caused something to plop out of nowhere and echoed loudly enough on the stones that it woke the birds. She ignored them and moved quickly to retrieve the object and see what it was he was so intent on having, but he was faster and closer to it than she was and picked it up quickly.

"What is it?" she asked trying to get a glimpse of it. But he was careful with his hands and the firelight mingled with the darkness wasn't the best light to see in.

"It's a book from another realm, one with an old legend inside of it."

"What legend?"

He glanced at her over the top of the book, his eyes uncertain as he closed it and held the book at his side. "I'm not sure I want to tell you that yet."

"Yet?!" she exclaimed. He'd brought her out here to help him collect this book, a book the voices in his head wanted to be destroyed, but he didn't want to give her details. She felt her heart fall. This was supposed to be the end of their secrets, she thought! He was going to tell her what he'd been doing, what he'd been searching for! Now he wasn't going to?

"I will tell you," he insisted stepping very close to her suddenly. He molded his free hand against her skin and brushed her cheek lightly with his thumb. "One day soon, I will tell you, Belle. I'm just not sure I want to get your hopes up yet. I'm not even sure I want to get my own hopes up yet."

She shook her head, purposefully making him pull back his hand so that she could grab it. "Rumple, I don't like secrets between us, you know that."

"And I don't like keeping secrets from you," he replied quickly. "Which is why I will tell you when the time is right. But for now…" he let out a hard sigh and turned away from her to fling the book onto the chair closest to the fire then reached out and squeezed her shoulders. "I need this one thing, Belle. I need your trust for it. Can you take into consideration the man that I've become, who I am now and not the beast I was when I lived in this castle with you, and can you give me your trust on this one secret. Temporarily?"

She did hate secrets. They had never caused anything but darkness in their relationship, but…it had been a long time since they'd had secrets. Really, they hadn't kept them from one another since before Gideon was born, or at least had become a baby the second time around. And in a setting like this, where he was right, and memories of their past life littered every surface around them, it was easy for her old scars to feel like they were burning. But she wasn't the person now that she was the last time she'd stood in this tower. And she knew that he wasn't the beast he used to be either. He truly was a changed man. And though her scars were alive with warning once more, her heart and mind spoke in unison, telling her that he wouldn't be a faithful husband for all these years only to fall back into the villain he'd once been. Not only would he not risk their lives for that, she was certain he wouldn't risk Gideon and the way that he saw him now for any secret.

Could she give him this? Yes, she could. But not happily and not without warning. She sighed deeply. "I can give you that, so long as you can understand, and not be offended, when I ask you not to break the trust I'm giving you."

He nodded, not an ounce of surprise or disappointment in his gaze. "I do," he confirmed. "And I won't."

She sighed again. There was still no part of her that enjoyed keeping secrets from one another but so long as the secrets didn't become lies and she had the promise that it would eventually be brought to light then she supposed it was permissible. Marriage was work, and change, and shifting, and making arrangements after all. Something like this was bound to come up eventually.

"Then you have my trust and your secret."

"With the promise you'll understand one day. You have my word," he countered before leaning down to kiss her once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, who guessed they were going to the castle? This chapter is actually pretty important to the rest of the fiction if only because it's starting the process of building into the future. Rumple going back for an important book is part of that, but Belle suddenly having that realization of what it means that her husband isn't growing old as she is really is also the focal point of it. Of course, she's always known that he wasn't aging, but I always think there is a difference between knowing something and perceiving something and this chapter highlights that. She's always known that he doesn't age, but this is the moment that it really hits home what it'll mean not only for her but for him as well. Also, I really like their final conversation here for a number of reasons. I always like to see how characters grow and build upon themselves and I enjoyed getting to take that opportunity to once again remind people that this is a couple that really hurt one another once upon a time and those scars don't just go away and sometimes they will rear their ugly head. But what matters isn't that those scars get the better of them but that they learn and build on the trust they've developed since then. It's incredibly touching to me.
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you, Goldenspinner and Ada_asgard for your comments. I really hope you liked this chapter as well as all the Easter Eggs as I threw at you. It's kind of fun right now, finishing this fiction up as I write the big Rumple fiction. I get to remember to add the book in there and their conversation here is a direct result of me trying to come up with a reason why, in the Chronicles, the Dark One changes physically at times (a reason that is not Make-up changes). Peace and Happy Reading!


	18. When Thoughts Become Secrets

Hope Jones was born on the most atypical day she could've been born. Leap day. On February twenty-ninth Regina had called to let them know Emma had been taken to the hospital and all of them, even Ruby and Dorothy had gathered in the waiting room, with the exception of Killian, Snow, and Regina, who Emma wanted with her. Tension had followed, nothing but quiet from the adults as the children played in the corner until Killian came out of the room, dressed almost humorously in blue scrubs and pronounced "It's a girl!"

They'd known that actually. The sonogram had told them long ago and they'd already had the name Hope already picked out by the time they got to the hospital. Killian had been ecstatic, hugging David and Uncle Henry, then shaking everyone's hand, including Rumple's who even let out a terse "Congratulations" before Killian moved on unaware of the miracle that had just taken place.

"Don't make any sudden moves," Ruby whispered in her ear. "Maybe if we don't say anything they'll never know what just happened." She snickered and watched as Killian moved on before giving the what Uncle Henry called the "blow by blow" description of what had happened. In truth there wasn't much to be told. Emma had been told that apparently second children came easier than the first and sure enough from the time her water broke to the time Hope had been born it had been only about two hours. Remarkably, according to Killian, labor had been quick and pleasant, according to Emma, much more tolerable than the first time. Recovery had even been easier, though she had a feeling that had more to do with the fact that this time she had the baby with her whereas some of her pain last time had been from giving Henry up. A few weeks after she'd been born, over Spring Break while she and Rumple and Gidoen had been on a trip to South America there had been a surprise planned for Regina. After working so hard over the months following the convergence of realms the worlds had finally recognized her and made her High Queen over them. Though they hadn't been there, they'd heard all about it from little Neal who had said Emma had managed to make it there with the new baby, even though she'd been late. It had been too special an occasion to miss, even Alice, older Robin, the Hook and Zelena doubles had flow by from San Francisco for it! Though of course, for little Robin's sanity, the other Zelena had stuck to the shadows so as not to see two of her mom in the same place at once. She was sad to have missed it, but had the very distinct feeling, after hearing the details, that Rumple was not, given the information that might have been flying around at a gathering like that.

Labor had not been pleasant or quick for Rapunzel. In fact, when the time finally came on the last day of May, it differed from Emma's and her own in nearly every way she could think of and that wasn't including the miracle that was nine full months of pregnancy. Rapunzel's had drawn on to be nearly ten months, and in the end, the doctors had to induce her friend. It was over a weekend, she'd made arrangements for Rumple to take Gideon for a while and gone with Rapunzel and Flynn to the hospital that night where they used drugs to force her into labor but even then, the doctors had predicted that it wouldn't be until morning, early afternoon at the latest when she would deliver. With Flynn by her side and Rapunzel's parents on stand-by she'd taken her leave to go home and returned the next morning, the first day of June, to find the room in chaos.

The doctors had broken her water for her and she was now turned onto her side, clutching the hospital bed and letting out long moans that sounded far more like she was dying than giving birth. It had been a while since her own labor and delivery, but she couldn't ever remember moaning like that, just screaming. Whatever her friend was feeling, it was only bound to get worse.

Flynn was perched behind her when she came in, he was rolling a tennis ball over her lower back and looked a little relieved when he saw another person had finally arrived. Clearly it had been a long night.

"She didn't want the drugs and the doctors are worried about giving them to her now. If she gets much worse-"

"She's going to get worse," she inserted immediately. Though her experience with Gideon had been abnormal she was certain that the process of giving birth to a baby was shared by all and moans weren't going to do it. She excused Flynn to take a break and then find the doctor. She could see the sleeplessness in his eyes and knew that he'd had a long night by her side and needed food or something to rouse and stir him for what was to come. She went back inside the room and sat in a chair by her friend. She saw one eye peek over at her from the top of the railing.

"Is he gone?"

"Just for some food. He'll be back soon."

"I kept telling him to do that. Just because one of us has to suffer…" But she never finished her sentence instead she heard the railing give a small creak and watched as Rapunzel's hand tensed over it and she buried her head in the mattress with a moan. Contraction.

"Breathe…" she ordered reaching out to hold her hand. She'd delivered Gideon in a whirlwind that was nearly a blur but she remembered that one little basic piece of advice. Still, it didn't seem to help her friend as it had her. Her own labor had been non-stop, but Rapunzel had apparently reached a standstill where she was simply waiting for the doctor to tell her that she was alright to start pushing. She knew enough to know that the contractions had to be almost constant and non-stop, looking her over, she secretly suspected they were there.

"Distract me," she demanded with a moan. "Say something, anything to distract me."

They talked about everything when they were at work together, they could talk for hours, but suddenly being put on the spot like that was overwhelming and she found that she wasn't sure what she could say that might take her mind off the pain she was feeling now. She wasn't sure a topic like that existed in the world.

"Gideon is learning to ride a bike," she suggested, knowing full well that wasn't going to be enough. "He skinned his knee yesterday but managed to go most of the block without falling."

Rapunzel was already shaking her head as she tried to roll over onto her back. "More!" she demanded as her chest heaved.

"Um…we're nearly packed for the trip to Egypt! We leave in a few weeks and you know we hadn't planned on you delivering so late otherwise we would have-"

"More!"

But she didn't think that she needed a distraction the way she'd turned over and parted her legs like that, more than likely she needed a doctor. Where was Jackie?! Maybe she should have sent Flynn after Jackie first instead of food!

"Belle, say something!" she screamed.

Say something?! She searched her mind trying to think about something to say, something she hadn't told her that might work and stumbled along one idea she'd had that she hadn't spoken with anyone about yet. It didn't seem like much to her, but maybe if it was presented properly.

"Belle!"

"I've been keeping a secret from you."

The words burst out of her mouth all at once, but they seemed to do the trick as her friend finally opened her eyes and looked over at her in shock.

"What?!" she cried. She fought back a proud smile at the success she'd had with those words. They didn't keep secrets from one another and with the admission of it she thought Rapunzel looked as though she'd just told her she'd committed murder.

"And Rumple too, I suppose," she added, purposefully heightening the suspense. She didn't keep secrets from Rapunzel and as far as Rapunzel knew she didn't keep secrets from her husband. Even if she wasn't quite sure she would count this as a secret just yet. "Though, I'm not quite sure 'secret' is the word for it. When would 'thoughts' be considered a 'secret'."

"Belle Gold if you do not tell me what you are talking about this instant I will-"

"How's our patient doing?"

She nearly laughed at just how well she'd done her job. Where Jackie's presence would have been welcomed two minutes ago now it was obvious Rapunzel only wanted to shoo her from the room so they could talk about this great secret she'd been keeping from her. But the time wasn't right. Flynn returned to the room as Jackie sat down to check on her progress and announced "you are ready to have a baby!"

This was the part she remembered and knew so well, the flurry of delivery, of being in active labor and not wanting to be at the same time your body forced you to be. A nurse was brought in and adjustments were made. Rapunzel's mother came into the room and the three of them stood around Rapunzel. It was a lot more efficient than when she'd given birth, the nurses directed Flynn and her mother to hold her hands and cheer her on and then she was surprised to feel one of Rapunzel's legs pushed into her arms. She was given instructions for how to hold it and warnings for what it would feel like as Rapunzel pushed. Shocked as she was at her new role she took it graciously, slightly fearful of what would happen if she decided to give up her position. Then all at once there was the order from Jackie to push. She'd always considered her friend strong. Strong of will, strong personality, strong sense of conscious. But suddenly she had a new definition of that word. She was strong physically as well, or perhaps all women where when they gave birth. Though she screamed and cried just as she had through the pushes she could feel every muscle in her leg tense with one and was more than once nearly pushed aside by the kicks.

It happened quickly then. Push after push came and went and soon enough there was familiar shrill cry in the room and the relief through Rapunzel's body seemed instant. The small crying baby was immediately placed on his mother's chest and she smiled down at him with tears in her eyes as if the hours of pain she'd endured had never existed.

She beamed as she and Flynn looked him over, already cooing and rocking the same way she had with Gideon. Instinct had taken over as they welcomed their little bundle into the world.

"Pascal!" she explained looking at her mother. "We decided to name him Pascal after his Uncle."

She saw tears gather in her mother's eyes as she hugged her daughter and nearly ran out of the room to tell her husband. Pascal had been the name of Rapunzel's brother who had drowned saving her from a river in their youth. Her fear of taking over the throne after his death was how she'd gotten into the tower in the first place.

While her mother was out of the room more work was done. The cord was cut and pushed free. Pascal was cleaned and set back on his mother's chest in a sleepy bundle as Flynn sat on the bed with her and they both looked down at him as though he was still awake. Family came next. Both Rapunzel's mother and father held the baby as the hospital filled out paperwork for a birth certificate. Ayana came later that afternoon. She'd driven all morning from her Senior Year in college to come see the new baby, her niece. She called Rumple next and he brought Gideon as well as his congratulations to see him when Rapunzel insisted that evening. She'd spent the day napping on and off between holding the little boy that was in the plastic tub the hospital provided. She'd had a long day and breastfeeding hadn't come easy to her, but in the stillness when they set Gideon down in the chair and placed Pascal in his lap every adult in the room smiled when Gideon kissed his forehead and said "It's nice to meet you cousin Pascal."

"The two of you will be his god-parents of course," Rapunzel commented. She wasn't surprised by the pronouncement, but she could tell her husband was. He put on a good show, and she was certain that no one other than her would have noticed, but she could tell that it meant something to him to be told that someone thought enough of him to trust their child to his care.

"We accept," she answered for the pair of them as she squeezed his hand.

The hospital had plans to release Rapunzel and Pascal the next afternoon. All was as it should be and though she was sore beyond belief, commenting several times she wished she had fairy magic to heal her, she was moving around enough for them to send her home. After Rumple took Gideon home she had sent Flynn home too, to get final preparations made, take a shower and enjoy some quiet while he still could. She held Pascal as his mother slept, staying with her friend in the room until nightfall when Rumple would return to pick her up. She was happy with the decision they'd made to have only Gideon, there was no part of her now that wanted to go through all of what Rapunzel was about to go through again. Diapers, early morning feedings, endless crying…but she did have to admit that as she rocked the sleeping babe in her arms that was temptation enough. She supposed it was only fair. Rapunzel had acted as something of a third parent to Gideon all these years, now it was her turn to indulge.

"You still owe me a secret."

She glanced up to see Rapunzel awake, propped up in her hospital bed her eyes were still tired but she was beaming at the sight of her own son in her arms. What an interesting change it made.

"It's not so much a secret," she admitted striding forward to set him back in his mother's arms. She still handled him as if he was glass and would break at any moment. It was precious, but she gave it two weeks. "I only used that word to distract you like you wanted. It's just a thought I've had recently."

"What thought?" Rapunzel asked sitting back and still managing to rock. "I can't imagine a thought you wouldn't tell me or Rumpelstiltskin."

"Neither can I, I suppose that's what's made it a secret."

"Well, what is it?"

She would have smiled if she hadn't been already. It was a stray thought, one born of a student who had been by to use the library a couple of weeks ago, something that had gotten into her head and grown.

"Do you remember that girl who came into the library a few weeks ago, she was looking for children's books."

"Well, that narrow's it down."

She chuckled. "She was no more than twenty, didn't have a child, and I let her leave with about ten from the children's section."

"I remember," Rapunzel answered after a few moments. "You spent a long time talking to her."

She nodded. "She was a student at Storybrooke University, working on a paper. Did you know she studies literature, she told me she wanted to get a masters in Library Science one day."

"That kind of thing exists?"

"I didn't know it until then either," she commented. "But now that I do…I've never considered going to school before. I've always been content to raise Gideon and run the library with you, but Gideon seems to need me a little less every day and there is a lot of free time at the library-"

"Are you thinking of going back to school?"

"'Going back' would imply I was there once," she corrected. "I've never gone to school in this world and I only ever had tutors in the other. I don't know how to write papers or sit in lectures-"

"How do you know if you haven't tried?" Rapunzel questioned. Her tone only made her smile grow. She was no expert, but that sounded like a vote of confidence to her.

"Do you think it's a good idea?"

"I think it's a great idea and I'm not sure why you haven't told your husband."

She hadn't told him because she wasn't sure if was a stray thought or a dream that needed spoken of. Not to mention the other thing she'd learned in doing her research. "Well, it is quite a bit of money."

"And you don't think you can afford it?" she asked skeptically, already knowing the answer. They could afford it. Rumple took care of the banking but even she knew they could afford to send her to school and probably not even feel a chip out of their wallets. It wasn't so much the money as the amount of commitment and the money combined. She was a mother and a librarian already! She'd never needed to go to school before and there was really no reason to now other than to satisfy this intense curiosity she felt inside of her at the moment.

"I just don't want to get over my head. I don't want Gideon to feel neglected. And you just had a baby, I want to be here for you."

"So you were planning on doing this tomorrow then…" Rapunzel joked. She knew her too well. So well that she swore she had read her mind and already knew she was thinking about starting in a few months, when the year started. "You, Belle Gold, are far more than you seem, and capable of much more than you know. If anyone can do this it's you. Rumple will know that just as much as I do."

"But what about should?" she fought back. "Anyone can do anything, but that doesn't always mean they should."

Rapunzel leaned forward and touched her hand. "You should."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Belle is considering going to school for the first time. This plot line is born really out of one comment made in season seven. When Gideon says he's going to college, essentially, Rumple makes the comment that he's a "scholar like his mother". Now, to me, a scholar is more than just reading a lot of books or even working in a library like Belle currently does. To me becoming a scholar means actively studying something. Now, I want to be clear in this that I don't believe you have to have a college degree to become a scholar, but because of the situation and the tone in which it was said what came to mind instantly was "oh, Belle has gone to school" and the second I had that thought in my head I loved it. Belle, who, as she points out, has only ever experienced having tutors and been self-taught as a far as books go, wants to go to school. That was a really cool idea to me. And when I began to work on this fiction and realized that they wouldn't be leaving until Gideon was ten...I knew there was certainly enough time for it.
> 
> Big, Wonderful, thank you to Goldenspinner1953 for leaving me such an interesting theory in the comments. I am hoping as you read this chapter you will have one of two reactions. Either, like me, you'll say "oh good someone else thought it meant she went to school too", or you'll think "oh, what a wonderful surprise!" Either way, I hope I've got none on team "no-school-for-you!" and you'll be able to enjoy the birth of Pascal as well as Hope. Leap Day...I couldn't resist. When I did the math and looked at the calendar I realized I'd made Hope due that last week in February and 2020 is a Leap Year so...yep, Leap Day seemed appropriate for her. I hope you won't mind. Peace and Happy Reading!


	19. Budding Fields of Magic

Their Egypt vacation had been a dream; pyramids, the Nile, history, and mummies galore to fascinate Gideon, all had a wonderful time. She was sad to see it go. Sad, but anxious at the same time. For this time when they finally crossed back over the town line in New Storybrooke, as Regina had taken to calling it, she was aware that it was not just for Gideon's schooling they were returning, but her own as well.

After she finally told Rumple about her intention to go to school, she was shocked to find that he not only supported the idea, but was impressed by it. Perhaps a little too impressed. As a joke he'd bought her a lunch box, similar to the one Gideon took to school every day, though hers had a woman with a yellow ball gown and a rose on it. He even made her take a picture before her first day like they did with Gideon at the start of every year.

On her first day in August both he and Gideon had driven her to the campus, and she'd look ominously up at the campus buildings around her and the students, who looked mostly like kids to her, walking about going to their classes. When had she gotten so old? Was there anyone her age there?

"Nervous?" he'd asked her as they pulled into a parking space.

She'd nodded. The sight of the busy campus wasn't enough to make her regret her decision, though it did make her want to rethink it a little.

"I wouldn't worry. Gideon is the star of the class and there's no doubt he gets that somewhere. You're going to be outstanding, every professor's favorite student by the end of the day," Rumple had encouraged.

"I only have two classes today."

"Even more impressive, you'll be their favorite and you won't even have had their class."

He made her smile and blush at the statement and she was about to make a comment when she heard a commotion in the backseat and realized Gideon had unbuckled his seatbelt.

"It's okay Mama," he'd insisted moving forward to hug her around her neck. "Don't be scared, you can do it."

Her smile became a gleam as she shifted and kissed her boy on the cheek, recognizing his words as her own before he'd taken his spelling tests throughout first grade.

"Thank you, my darling. My darlings…" she smiled grabbing her husband's hand.

After a few moments telling them to behave and reminding them that she'd need to be picked up in two and a half hours, she got out of the car, took a big breath and began her walk to her first class.

It took her only a few weeks to know that Rumple was right. She was outstanding at this. She adored every part of school in a way that she never had when she'd been tutored as a child. This kind of education was so much more fun compared to learning how to dance the waltz or write a decree! Of course, there were hiccups along the way, writing a decree was a far different task than writing a research paper, but with some practice, help from Snow White and Rapunzel, she was soon bringing home high scores that Rumple hung on the fridge right next to their son's work.

"I feel like you are only doing this to tease me some nights," she confessed as he hung her Fall midterm up, a red letter "A" had been written in the corner along with the words "See notes for citation corrections, but a fascinating read, you even taught me a thing or two."

"Not at all," he muttered, his arms coming around her from behind. "Every day you amaze me and make me prouder to be your husband than I ever thought was possible."

She blushed. It was comments like that which made her feel the same, proud to be his wife in ways she never imagined would be possible for the Dark One and his mate.

"I'll remind you of that when I drag you to England to start visiting homes of famous authors," she whispered back, gently moving around so that she could kiss his cheek.

It went on like that for a few months. They lived in familial bliss together, Gideon going to school, her going to school, she and Rapunzel still ran the library, Rumple the pawn shop, every now and then Ruby dropped in unexpectedly for lunch, and after a while it seemed that they'd developed a new schedule and all thoughts of change were pushed far from their mind. Until she got a text message in the middle of her World Civilizations Class from her husband.

She never turned her phone off, or even put it on silent, the mother in her simply wouldn't allow it. But Rumple and Rapunzel knew not to contact her while she was in school unless it was an emergency, which was why when she heard a buzz coming from the vibrating phone in her bag in the middle of her lecture she immediately felt her stomach drop. It was Rumple, he'd sent her only three chilling numbers "911".

Breathless she'd gathered up her belongings and left the class, calling Rumple to figure out what was happening, but she found him already parked outside. She didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. Obviously, whatever it was had been bad enough to bring him here to pick her up, but if he was here and not at Gideon's side that meant that their son wasn't hurt or in the hospital, so what was it?

No one was hurt, no one was even injured, he explained when they were both tucked into the car and driving. Rumple, it turned out, didn't even know what the problem was himself, only that the principle of Gideon's school had called and told them Gideon was sitting in the office and requested they both come at once. Her stomach was in knots all over again as they made their way through the streets and parked in the lot beside the great building. They tried to maintain their worry. If Gideon was sitting in the principal's office, then he wasn't hurt, that was a good thing but why he was there in the first place baffled her. Gideon had never had any trouble at school, he excelled at it the same as she did. Why he'd be here was a complete mystery, especially when they were escorted into the office and it wasn't just Gideon.

"Neal?!" she gasped at the boy. They were sitting in chairs across from the principles desk, their little bodies looking far too small for such big furniture. They'd both looked up at the pair of them when they entered but Gideon immediately looked away, his expression one of guilt that she hadn't seen since he'd accidentally dropped his milk glass on the way to the sink and shattered it. Beside the boys sat another face. "Snow!"

But before anyone could say anything the principal was up and out of her chair, requesting additional chairs from the office staff. It was a tight fit to get them all in there and seated comfortably, especially when David arrived last. Snow and David, who had taken to working with Regina on little projects throughout New Storybrooke, like plumbing, schools, and electricity, were not dressed for this world. They looked like they'd just stepped out of Henry's old storybook. It appeared they had gotten the news just as she had and run right over.

"Thank you all for arriving so quickly," the principal stated looked at them. "There is something very serious that needs to be discussed between all of us about the incident that occurred today. We are aware that many of our students come from homes with magic in them and that many of them will possess magic themselves, especially after the creation of New Storybrooke. Luckily for Gideon and Neal, because some students aren't aware that they have magic until certain incidents occur, the school has established this system that favors the guilty far more than the innocent. At least that's my opinion of it..." she muttered.

"System?" she questioned. Her head was spinning and the principal was talking too fast. She was still trying to get a hold on what was going on. What incident had Gideon been involved in?

"This is a warning, Mrs. Gold. It's what all parents and students receive at the first use of magic on our property. This is a school, we're making every effort for all our students to feel welcome and like they belong here whether they have blood of a fairy, a witch, or a dwarf, but magic isn't something that belongs among the halls here. The Queen agrees with me, it creates an environment not suitable for learning especially for those students without magic. We insist that if magic must be taught then it be taught at home where it is not a disruption or danger to our other students who do not possess the qualities your son has, or else you enroll him in one of the private schools for students with magic that the Queen is working on establishing."

She felt nearly frozen in time. It was beginning to make sense to her. And even without the details she felt her stomach drop.

"Gideon used magic."

"Yes," the principal answered with an air of humor in her voice, as if it was absurd she'd asked the question or didn't know. "Why, given your family's history of magic, I would have thought-"

"This is the first we've been made aware of it!" she inserted quickly. They kept no secrets from Gideon not about his brother or his father, but they'd never had a sit down with him where they explained everything. Exactly what was clear to him and what wasn't was a mystery to her but she knew that if anyone was going to have that conversation with their son it was them and they weren't going to have it in a school office.

"Mr. and Mrs. Gold…" the principal leaned forward. "Our parking lot faces the playground used for recess. When you arrived you no doubt noticed the field of budding flowers beside it." No, actually they hadn't noticed, they'd been too preoccupied with Gideon to notice flowers! And she didn't know why she was bringing the flowers up! "Those flowers were not there two hours ago," the principal went on. "The field was just a field used for soccer and tag. The flowers bloomed by magic and your son, along with your son Mr. and Mrs. Nolan were found at the scene. They were the only two standing there. Given your family's history...it wasn't difficult to put two and two together."

"We haven't been teaching our son magic, madam," Rumple growled next to her. It was the first that he had spoken and now that she looked over at him she could see the anger on his face as well as hear it in his voice. This entire situation, this unfair interrogation of their son weighed heavy on him. He didn't care for it and it was a rare occasion that she agreed with him. This was not the way to handle this situation.

"Well, he had to learn it somewhere, Mr. Gold."

"Neal?!"

David's voice of amazement cut through the tension in the room and drew her back to the fact that there were two boys there. And though Gideon did look guilty enough to convince her that he'd had something to do with this, Neal was the one looking smaller by the second, hanging his head and avoiding his parent's eyes. She'd nearly forgotten that the Charming family was there, but clearly David had seen his son's actions and devised the guilt he saw in it.

"It was just something I saw Emma do!" the boy burst out. "She just grew a flower and gave it to Hope, it wasn't a big deal! She didn't hurt anyone! Neither did we!"

"Little things can turn into big things easily enough, Neal," Snow chastised.

"Did you show Gideon how to do it?" David demanded.

"I just thought it would be fun! I didn't know he'd make more than me and the teacher would notice!"

And so the truth came out. Gideon had learned magic, but it wasn't from the two of them. Neal had learned it from his sister Emma, and they'd both copied. But the startling thing in all of it was the vast quantity their son had managed. According to Neal, he'd only made one flower, Gideon was responsible for the field. And when the principal dismissed them and allowed them to take their boys home early, she couldn't help but glance at that field as they walked back to their car. It was glorious. But the implications of it were terrifying all the same.

The car ride home was silent for the most part, the only conversation was Rumple asking her what she'd missed at school and if she'd be able to make it up. She didn't particularly feel like talking about school at the moment, but the small talk was somehow comforting to her and she answered his questions without worry. Gideon sulked in the backseat, refusing to say anything to either of them. When they got home he practically ran out of the car and up the stairs into the house. He was nowhere in sight when they finally got in the door. They found him up in his room, the door locked, sounds of crying coming from inside.

Her heart had broken as she'd begged him to let her in, but he didn't respond. She wanted so desperately to tell him it would be okay, to hold her baby in her arms, and explain everything to him, to make the hurt and the fear go away, but instead she crumpled to the floor, leaning against his door, two inches of wood separated them and she realized that even if she was in there with him, she wouldn't know what to say. She did want to tell him everything would be okay, but she didn't know if it would.

In the end Rumple came around and offered her his hand. He pulled her to her feet and then into his arms, wrapping them tight around her before they separated and looked at the door to their son's room. He announced that they were going downstairs, and if he wanted to talk they'd be there, if he didn't then they would see him at dinner, but before they left he had to unlock his door. They wouldn't enter, but he couldn't keep it locked to them. If he didn't then he'd unlock it himself and they would go in and he'd be in trouble for not listening to them. There was a moment of quiet, then they heard movement inside his room, footsteps and sniffles, before the sound of a click signaled he'd unlocked his door, and more footsteps assured them he'd gone back to his bed.

She wanted to go through the door, to go and see him once more but instead Rumple gave her arm a tug and pulled her down the stairs. They retreated into the kitchen, a room far from Gideon's where they could talk without being overheard. She sank into her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't know what the name of this emotion she was feeling now was called. Confusion, desperation, sadness, grief, worry…it seemed to be made up of all of them and yet wasn't them at the same time.

She heard the chair next to her, the one Rumple always sat at, scrape across the floor as he sat down beside her and put a hand over her back.

"You always knew he was going to have magic, Belle."

Did she? Was that the problem here? Was it the magic that concerned her, or the fact that her child was upstairs weeping over it and didn't want to talk to her. He'd never been afraid of her before, not in this lifetime. If this was true, if he continued to have the nightmares of the other life, what else was bound to surface? And when?

"He did have magic," she answered. "But since it's been so long…I figured we'd have seen it before now."

"The truth is that most children in Storybrooke have the propensity for using magic. All it takes is one set of grandparents as far back as three generations to share true love and pass the potential for magic on through the years. It's really not as rare as it seemed back home. Gideon is a child of true love, how could he not have it?"

"I know all that; I just don't understand why we haven't seen it before."

"Sometimes that's just the way it is," he assured her. "Sometimes they just don't show signs of it until one day. Some children exhibit signs from the moment they are born and others will die old men and women never knowing they had the ability in the first place."

Never know…what was worse? Would he have been better if they'd caught it when he was a child or if they'd never caught it at all? What would have become of him if Neal hadn't taught him that spell?

"Belle…are you disappointed?"

"No!" she exclaimed picking her head up. She was feeling a lot of emotions right now, a lot of unexpected and unidentifiable emotions at this change to their family but disappointment wasn't one of them. It never could be. "No, I could never be disappointed in Gideon," she corrected. "I'm just…scared. He still has those dreams, Rumple, the ones of...her. But you and I know they aren't dreams, they're memories," she hissed, doing her best to keep her voice down, just in case. They hadn't heard Gideon come out of his room, but he could be sneaky when he wanted to be. He got that from his father.

"I know, but they don't seem to be very vivid, and they don't seem to overtake his life. They are becoming less and less frequent. Gideon is different with us than he was with her. You know he was resistant of her even when he was with her, she had to use his heart to get him to use his magic for the worst."

"I know all that…I just worry."

Magic had opened all kinds of doors in their life, it had put them both on paths of good and bad and though she understood that at the moment Gideon's abilities would be neither good nor evil, with those abilities came complications, not the least of which was their son crying and inconsolable in his room because he didn't understand what was happening to him. But of course, a life without magic wasn't exactly a life free from complications either. This was just something that had blindsided her.

"He'll be fine, Belle," Rumple assured her as he rubbed her back. "He'll need a bit of practice, he'll need to learn control, but I can teach him that."

"Can you? Are you sure that's safe?"

She heard the accusation in her own voice and was shocked at it. After all these years it was unfair to make it. He had done so well. And while magic had not been extinct from their lives since Gideon returned to them; he hadn't done it in excess and rarely without her there. He'd provided spells and potions since then, when Gideon had been a toddler he had loved to watch his father turn the thread he had into gold, and they obviously had a stash of magic beans that they hadn't used, but she imagined still planned to one day. Magic was not absent from their home, but it didn't dominate their home either, not anymore. Perhaps that was what feared her and drew the accusation from her lips. She was afraid of what would happen with this new resurgence. Would Gideon remember more of his previous life? Would Rumple face temptations he hadn't in years and undo what had been done?

Though her tone and question had clearly been accusatory, he didn't appear insulted or even surprised by her words. It was as if they were just truth, as if he had read her mind and knew there was a risk involved, but had already dismissed it.

"I can teach Gideon the same way you have taught me. The only difference is that now you'll be a guiding light for both of us. There are good choices to be made and bad choices to be made. I've made a lot of bad ones in my life, but I don't want those choices for my son and I never had."

His words were eerily familiar. They were so similar to what he'd spoken to her at the well nearly eight years ago that it made her shiver. Where they really in this place again? One act of magic and that was where they'd gone back too? One of the lowest times in their marriage?

No. She wouldn't allow such a thing. They had come so far and accomplished too much to be drawn back to that kind of darkness. She simply wouldn't allow it.

She turned in her seat and placed her hands against his cheeks. "You are not that person anymore Rumple. You haven't been for a long time. I'm sorry I ever-"

"It's good you did," he interrupted. "It's always when you let your guard down that it gets the better of you. Sometimes when I'm alone with you and with Gideon, I forget what lives inside me. But I can't ever forget; I can't let it ever sneak up on me and not be prepared. I have to teach him, Belle, I won't let him struggle with what is inside of him the way I did."

She nodded as he spoke, understanding his argument and agreeing with it all at the same time. Only he had the ability to sway her in that way and make her feel peace where she once felt only chaos. She smiled as she kissed his forehead.

"He'll have a good teacher, then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually a little shocked that we made it this far into this fiction without having much talk about whether or not Gideon was going to have magic. It was one more thing that I wanted to give him in addition to the random memories in his life. First, because I did want to show what he could do under the proper influence and second, kind of like with the Dark Castle chapter, I wanted to show what scars are still left over. These are not people who are denying anything that ever happened to them in the past. These are people who readily admit that there could be danger with this but this time they are vowing to face it head on and I think that's what makes the difference between now and then.
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. I'm glad that you enjoyed the birth of Pascal and happy to hear that I wasn't the only one to assume Belle went to school! There is going to be more of it to come but first, a chapter that really plays in opposition to this chapter! I hope you'll enjoy it! On we go, Peace and Happy Reading!


	20. The Inequality of Marriage

There was no denying it anymore. She was going gray. She had been for years, of course, but as she looked in the mirror before class it suddenly stuck out to her in a way it hadn't before. it was no longer just an occasional stray with a few clusters gathered by her temple. It was clear now that those clusters had become a certified gray streak that looked white against the vibrant red and brown of the rest of her hair. The other grays were still hidden by it, but this little column of white refused to hide.

She liked it.

She knew that other women usually fretted about with things like this, that Snow often talked about dying her hair to cover her own grays, but when she looked in the mirror she found she was rather proud of it. She enjoyed what it meant and what came with it. When she and Rumpelstiltskin had first begun to travel the world, even when Gideon had been an infant, she was constantly aware of the looks the pair of them received. They had no idea what their true age difference was, but they knew that she looked young enough to be his daughter, and while that kind of age difference would have been acceptable in the Enchanted Forest, in this world one it was a bit odd. But as these years had passed, when they enjoyed their last summer holiday in Germany, she realized that no one stared anymore. She was beginning to resemble his own age; they were beginning to match.

But when he came into the bathroom to check his tie one morning and found her holding that piece of gray hair that he did not feel the same as she did.

"It looks beautiful," he commented as if he was afraid that she suddenly had begun to doubt herself because of it. Most did after all.

"I know," she smiled, dropping the section of hair and combing through it, so that it would be a bit more natural.

"You do?"

She smirked at his surprise and put her brush down. "Don't worry, Rumple, I'm not so vain as to be embarrassed by a little gray hair," she assured him as she centered his tie for him. "I think of it as catching up with you."

With a kiss, she left him alone in the bathroom.

The conversation was forgotten not long after, and things returned to normal. Third grade was very much like second and first grade for Gideon, only the activities varied, and the complexity of the work seemed to increase. Their dining room, which they had once rarely used as anything other than a sewing room for her very quickly became the homework room. Late at night both she and Gideon could be found working at that table with their homework spread out around them. It was good for them. She was around to help Gideon as needed and accomplish her own work in the company of her son, at least before he finished and quickly ran off to his room to read or found his father. They'd been working on magic together ever since the flower incident last year when Gideon discovered that he'd had it. She'd been skeptical at first, but under Rumple's tutelage, he'd been learning self-control and most important responsibility. She hadn't known magic would teach him that, but she was glad enough for it. And the first time her son had turned a stick into a red rose before her eyes and presented it to her with every bit of charm his father had she'd blushed with happiness as she'd taken it.

There were other changes, subtler changes, that came with Gideon getting older. They no longer walked him to and from school anymore but instead permitted him to walk himself. Sometimes he went to the library, others to the shop, but sometimes he and Neal went over to his house afterward and Gideon would arrive back at their house just in time for dinner each day. That was, perhaps, why one day in early November they hadn't panicked when Gideon didn't turn up at the store or the library by the time they needed to leave for home, they'd assumed that he was at Neal's and would be joining them later. It wasn't until dinner was nearly ready that she was watching the clock, thinking about how close he was going to cut it, when she started to panic and finally picked up the phone to call David it inquire when their son would be home. Her stomach dropped when David told her Neal hadn't brought Gideon home at all. He'd tried. Neal had reported that something had happened at school today and sent Gideon running after the last bell, but he hadn't told his father what the incident was and at the moment she couldn't think to care.

"Gideon's missing!" she declared, finding Rumple out at his table working on a music box.

They were instantly alert and began to grab their things and formulate a plan for finding him, he was pulling on a coat and saying he had a locator potion at the shop and she had her finger over Emma's phone number when they heard a sound coming from the ceiling, and both looked up. That was Gideon's room. Was it possible? Had he been here the entire time? He wasn't allowed to be home by himself or anywhere that there wasn't an adult. He was growing up, but they'd explained that he wasn't that old yet.

She and Rumple both dropped their things and hurried up the stairs to Gideon's room. They found the door closed and when Rumple grabbed the knob to enter she saw him only jiggle it, and a look of irritation fall over his face.

"Gideon, what have we told you about locking the door?!" It was becoming something of a regular battle for them as Gideon kept insisting on his privacy and the thrill that accompanied locking them out of his room. Rumple could only ever think of all the bad things that could happen when he did that. "Gideon, open the door now or I will. You scared your mother enough already, open the door now!"

But the only sounds that came from inside the room where shuffles that came from a distance.

"Gideon!"

"Rumple!" she placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him away. They could get like this on occasion, and she knew that no child wanted to open the door to an angry father. When she had him down the hall, and away from the door she stared at him, silently communicating all of this to him before she walked calmly back down to their son's door.

"Gideon, it's your mother. I sent your father away, unlock the door so we can talk? Neal told me about school."

None of it was a lie, not exactly, but she had learned over the years that sometimes half-truths could get her much farther than she'd ever expected. In this case, it got her the sound of footsteps, and a click as Gideon unlocked the door. He moved away but didn't open it for her, and she cast one final glance at Rumple before opening the door and closing it behind her. There sat her son, alone on his bed, head bowed, backpack tossed to the floor. She sighed, allowing relief to overcome her at the sight of him before she leaned against the door and collected her thoughts.

"We have asked you not to lock the door; it scares your father. And not letting us know you are home scares me."

Gideon didn't respond, just turned his head away from her. She moved cautiously, getting closer to him, and finally sitting down beside him on the bed. Her next words had to be carefully chosen.

"Neal told me you didn't have a good day at school. Do you want to tell me about that?"

She heard Gideon sniffle, the kind that always came after he'd finished crying. "Is it true that Papa is a bad person?"

"No!" she exclaimed. She hadn't exactly known what problem she was walking into, but she hadn't expected anything like that. Her curiosity had just grown by leaps and bounds. What on earth had happened at school today to inspire such a question? "No, Gideon, of course not! Where would you get an idea like that?"

"A kid at school overheard me telling Neal about the magic I was learning, and he told me that magic was bad and that Papa was bad, that he does bad things to people and someday I'll do bad things to people too. But it's not true, is it, Mama?"

Finally, Gideon looked up at her, and in his eyes, she saw the shinning of tears that accompanied fear. Somedays it was obvious why the Black Fairy had been forced to use his heart to get what she wanted from him. Her boy was too sweet to ever commit the atrocities that she had wanted him to commit freely.

But, of course, she was reminded that what he'd been told at school hadn't come from nowhere, there was a reason for it, and truth behind what he'd been told even if she didn't agree with it all. She'd always known that one day it was going to come to something like this, one day someone was bound to tell him about his father or the Black Fairy or who he'd been. And though they didn't keep secrets from Gideon, she understood that there was only so much he could absorb from their conversations and actions without the entire story. Was it time for more?

"Gideon…let me tell you a story," she sighed, turning to face him. "Once Upon a Time your father lived in another realm, one that was very far away-"

"The Enchanted Forest."

"Yes," she nodded. He did know some things, she just wasn't sure what. "But it wasn't here like it is now. It was a very far away place then. And a very long time ago, before he met and married me, Papa had another son."

"Big Brother Neal."

"That's right. But in that world, Neal was called Baelfire, and there was a war going on. Do you know what war is?"

Gideon nodded. "It's when two countries that don't like each other fight."

"Yes, that's right. Only this time the war was between two countries, it was between people and ogres."

She saw a smile stretch over Gideon's face. "Ogres? Those big ugly things in my books? They exist?"

Now it was her turn to smile if only because he finally was. "Bigger and uglier," she confirmed, trying to push images of the battlefields she'd seen in her youth away. "And the people were losing the war. So the people in charge began to take children away from their parents to fight the ogres."

"And they wanted to take Neal?" he questioned. Smart boy. She nodded in confirmation but Gideon's face soon contorted in confusion once more. "But Mother…why didn't Papa fight in the war?"

She swallowed, impressed and overcome with his curiosity and questions. Perhaps he had a little too much of her in him. "Your Father did fight even longer before they wanted to take Big Brother Neal. But he hurt his leg so that he couldn't walk right and couldn't fight the ogres this time."

"He walks fine now."

"Yes, he does, he's used magic to heal himself."

"Papa, didn't always have magic?"

He was getting ahead of her, revealing just how little he could know about his parents after all this time. There was going to be a lot of explaining to do as he got older, but not this time around. This time around he just needed one story.

"He did not. But when the soldiers came to try and take your brother away from him, your father fought back. He'd heard of a powerful dagger, one that would give him magical abilities, that could help him stop the war and save Baelfire and all the children. But that dagger's magic came with a terrible price."

"'All magic comes with a price'. Papa tells me that all the time."

"And he's right. Once your father acquired the dagger, he got his magic, but it also placed a terrible curse on him. The Curse of the Dark One."

"Dark One…I've heard that before."

"I'm sure you have, darling."

"And the dagger…it's the same one Papa takes with us when we leave for vacation."

"Yes," she answered. "He takes it because whoever holds the dagger has the ability to control the Dark One and he doesn't want to leave it vulnerable. Whoever holds that dagger can make your father do terrible things with his magic and that is why we keep it safe."

"So Papa isn't bad then?" Gideon question. "It's just the curse that's bad."

She nodded. "Exactly. Does your father seem bad to you?" she asked.

Gideon shook his head. "But sometimes he can be scary when he yells at me."

"Your father loves you, more than anything, Gideon. He wants you to be safe and good, and sometimes love like that comes out harsh when we're afraid. You can't lock your door, or hide from us when you have questions, do you understand? It makes us worry."

"Yes, Mama, I understand. But…" She'd been about to congratulate herself, to begin celebrating because she'd made it through that discussion far better than she thought she would. However his 'but' and the look in his eyes was ominous. There was something more. "If Papa is cursed, does that mean I'm cursed too? Will someone make me do bad things to people? Sometimes I dream about that at night, about someone who wants me to do bad things."

More memories. She hoped they would fade with time, but they didn't seem to be and whether or not to tell Gideon about that life he'd led was a conversation for years down the road, not now. But how to approach that question was far more touchy.

"What about you, Gideon? Do you want to do bad things to people?"

"No!" she shouted back. "That's why I don't like the woman in my dreams. I just want to be good, Mama." He got off his bed and ran to his shelf, pulling a book from it before bringing it back to her.  _Her Handsome Hero._ "I just want to be brave and true, like you and Papa taught me."

She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair for a moment before pulling him closer to kiss is forehead. "I know that, my darling. You aren't cursed, and you aren't bad, no one is born bad or even good, it's the choices we make that determine that. If this is what you want to be, then it's what you'll be. But you will be nothing but hungry if you don't wash up and come downstairs for dinner."

"Is Papa mad at me?" he questioned as she moved to stand up.

She shook her head. "No, baby. Just stop locking your door and let me talk to him. You get ready for dinner."

She left Gideon's door open when she left, but when she looked down the hall, she saw Rumple was nowhere in sight.

She checked their room and after confirming that it was empty moved back down the stairs, searching for him to let him know everything was all right. But the moment she saw him sulking on the couch, looking just as wounded as Gideon she knew that he'd listened in to at least part of their conversation and everything was not all right. Not at the moment anyway.

"How much did you hear?" she questioned.

"Enough. My son thinks I'm a monster."

"He doesn't…"

She felt her heart breaking as she watched him sit there in pieces. At his son's words? At a child's words? At hers? Sometimes it amazed her at just how little could fell him. And sometimes it amazed her that something so little as words could put that look back into his eyes, a look that was so old she sometimes thought of it as a fossil. He was saddened by what Gideon had experienced. But he was also angry as well.

"I know that look," she muttered coming around to sit on the table before him. "You're thinking of doing something bad aren't you."

He looked up at her with his cold gaze and nodded. "Very much so," he admitted.

"You can't Rumple," she insisted grabbing for his hand. In the end, he only pulled it away.

"That's just the thing though, isn't it, Belle? I most certainly can."

"You can't!" This time when she held his hand, she locked it into a vise that she was certain he wouldn't be able to break free of. "If you do, then you make everything Gideon heard about you true! It's not just my heart you'd be breaking it's his. Do you want to put him through that?" He didn't pull his hand away, but he didn't answer either. "Rumpelstiltskin, you have worked so hard over the last few years not to be that beast anymore. Do not go back now. Now you have to be the good man your son knows you are, the good man I know you to be."

"He was told-"

"He was told something that confused him because he doesn't know it as truth. He doesn't believe it, Rumple," she corrected before he could insist. She didn't know when in the conversation he'd left, but obviously, he hadn't stayed long enough to hear the end. "He was told that you were bad and that because of it he would be bad. If you do something now, you confirm everything we have worked hard to erase. You may as well let your mother win. You have to lead by example. Gideon knows you are not a monster. How could you be when you tuck him into bed and teach him such wonderful things."

"Maybe we're making a mistake in teaching him those things."

Stubborn old fool. That was what he was. Not a beast or a monster, he was just a stubborn old man that could not be moved unless someone moved him.

"Come on…" she insisted moving away from him, and over to the table they kept the turntable on. "Get up, come and dance with me."

He scoffed as he looked at the daylight outside the window. "It's the middle of day, not even dinner time!"

"And if you don't come and dance with me now then no one will be eating tonight!" She fumbled with the record as she turned it on and music filled the room. Chances were they didn't have long until Gideon came downstairs, but after all these years she knew what he needed and when he needed it. Right now he needed a distraction, he needed a reminder of the life he had, and he needed to feel it beneath his hands so he could hold onto it and let the voices of the curse slip beneath the surface and vanish once more. He wasn't about to go out and hurt a child, or his parents, because Gideon would know. He may not have much respect for his own reputation at times, but when it came to Gideon's reputation, she knew he'd fight for that to remain untarnished.

"Rumpelstiltskin!"

He finally obeyed her command and stalked over to her, took hold of her body, and led them through the melody that came through the speaker. They were quiet, listening to the sounds of Gideon moving around upstairs as he got ready for dinner mingled with the sound of their breath on shoulders and necks. The tension didn't melt as fast as she knew it could and she knew that he was living in fear of when he next saw his son, in fear of what he might see in their boy's eyes when he looked at him. The next few days had to potential to be very awkward indeed.

"He'll be fine, you know," she muttered against his shoulder as she heard Gideon move into the bathroom. "He has friends, and they'll keep him steady. They know his heart just as well as we do. Your mother is gone, and she's not going to hurt Gideon again. We'll make sure he uses his magic responsibly."

"'Uses his magic responsibly'…it wasn't long ago that we were talking about this and I was assuring you. How can we keep this up if we can't even maintain our confidence?" he demanded.

She smirked at the comment, unaware why for a moment, before the oddity of it came crashing down on her in one of the most welcoming realizations she'd had in a long while. They were maintaining their confidence; it just didn't stay with the same person all the time.

"Don't you see? This is how we do it?" she smiled. "Ever since I've known you I thought that marriage meant being equals but sometimes…sometimes this is just how it works. Somedays I'll lose my faith, and you'll carry it for me. And on days like today, when you lose yours, I'll carry it for you. We have confidence Rumple, sometimes we'll share it, and other times we're going to keep it safe for one another until we're ready to share it again. That is what you've taught me about marriage."

The swaying that they were doing stopped abruptly, and she stepped back slightly so she could gaze up into his face. His eyes were no longer cold but thawed into the warm pools of caramel that she could lose herself into if she allowed it. He was hopeful.

"Promise?" he inquired.

She smiled, quite simply, because she already had promised.

"I do. Do you?"

He nodded as they heard Gideon's footsteps come down the front staircase for dinner and she let her fingers tighten in reassurance for whatever would come through dinner.

"I do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In writing this story and letting Gideon do some of his growing up in Storybrooke I knew that conversations like this were bound to arise. We've already stated that Rumple and Belle are raising Gideon in truth but the thing is that not everyone's truth is the same. To us Rumple is a good man, fighting a terrible curse, raising his son right. To a butcher, he's the monster who turned his father into a pig. Both truths are correct. And just because you raise a child in truth you cannot sit them down at age three and tell them everything. In some ways that would be tantamount to abuse. In my mind, telling Gideon at this age about the Black Fairy, laying that guilt on an eight-year-old, would be abusive and really mess him up, so they have to wait for opportunities. Cruel as the school kid was, it does provide an opportunity for a little more of the truth to come out and help Gideon understand his father as well as his families past better.
> 
> Many thanks to Goldenspinner and Bronwynhillside for your comments. It is my hope that you'll find the end of this chapter a really sweet one. The Dark Curse prays on weaknesses, it seemed likely to me that after all these years of repression the voices might take advantage of this situation and start whispering to him at this moment about revenge, it takes Belle to bring him back, as always, and ground him in something far more real. Peace and Happy Reading!


	21. Of Names and Futures

That Thanksgiving Storybrooke was aflutter with the news. While Storybrooke had been in flux for the last few years, families leaving to live in other parts of the world and even other realms becoming part of their own, something like the latest gossip had never happened in Storybrooke before. For once, a new family had moved into town.

Doctor Arnold Palmer and his wife Sarah, from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The couple had two daughters named Samantha and Justine and as far as anyone could figure the family was perfectly normal. No magical powers. No villainous intentions. No knowledge that there were worlds that might exist beyond their own, at least not until they'd walked into Storybrooke and saw Fairies flying around.

Belle, perhaps more than anyone had heard talk about him, as the good doctor, and his many degrees, had just transferred from a university in Pennsylvania to fill a history position at the Storybrooke University. She did not have him as a professor for her classes, even with the accelerated course of study she'd recently embarked upon, but she did know some who did have him next semester when he was bound to start. He'd been coming around campus since he moved, preparing his office, getting ready for class. It seemed that no one had talked of anything but him since they arrived two weeks ago. And if the rumors were to be believed, with its grand castles and people who dressed as they'd just stepped out of the eighteenth century, the town was all that the Doctor and his family were going on about.

"I just don't understand, what was McGonagall thinking? Hiring outside of Storybrooke, this was bound to happen!" she exclaimed at their annual Thanksgiving dinner.

The children were in a booth, laughing and talking with each other, sitting on their knees and making faces as the adults gathered around their large table, just as always. This was the first year that Lucy, now twelve, was joining them instead of the children's table. She was growing so fast it was hard to believe sometimes. Though she'd been a bit behind, soon enough she'd be starting High School. This year was the first that Sabine and Naveen had brought their new daughter, Charlotte, with them. Jacinda now worked in one of Regina's new "Magic Schools" teaching things like swordsmanship and dancing. Uncle Henry joined her on occasion, but was happy to continue his writing career. The library now had an entire shelf dedicated to him. This was the first year that Ayana, Flynn, Pascal, Rapunzel, and her parents had joined them. With half the occupants wearing glorious ballgowns and the other half wearing jeans and sweaters, elbow room at the table was scarce. And as they all tucked in and Regina brought up the issues she was having with the newcomers she suddenly understood why when the conversation naturally fell to Palmer. The table was just as divided as the rest of Storybrooke. Some didn't see the problem with having him around, others, like she and Rumple, saw nothing but problems. Justine, the youngest of the daughters was only a grade ahead of Gideon. What if she happened to see something she shouldn't and tell her parents? What would become of them then? The fairies that usually buzzed around the town were trying to avoid them as it was but if they lived here surely they couldn't keep that up forever.

"She wasn't aware that he was from outside of Storybrooke," Regina commented. According to her, she interviewed two people, and he was the best candidate for the position."

"She didn't read the address on the resume?" Snow questioned in disbelief.

Regina shook her head. "Apparently not. But this isn't a tragedy. It's been years since Storybrooke has had a problem of fictional proportions. We're a normal town with normal people. There's no reason to expect anything will happen now and even if it did and they saw something who would believe them?"

"'Normal people,'" Hook scoffed. "Half of you can throw fire and others make straw into gold; you don't think that poses a problem? Oh, and perhaps you've missed the castles and fairies flying around."

"I've already explained some of that to them. I've told them that we're a tourist trap, like Disney World only free and…well a little more elaborate. They think the fairies are special effects, I've talked to the girls they don't believe in magic, their logical minds just don't let them believe we're all from the books they've read. As far as our own magic, we'll just have to guard some of those urges now. This isn't exactly a crisis. We can be responsible."

Beside her Rumple let out a snort and smiled at his one time student. "Can we now?"

"Rumple!"

"Yes, we can," Regina insisted before she could get him to withdraw the comment. "They believe that because of Henry's book, we're all just very passionate about the place we live in and determined to keep it's magic alive. Eventually they'll come to believe that this town, quirks and all, is just like any other town in this country. We'll remain stories to them, no point arguing otherwise."

"Spoken like a true politician," Emma muttered.

But across the table, David looked somber and had put the glass he was about to drink from away. He looked shaken.

"David? What's wrong?" Snow asked.

"Nothing it's just…that's never dawned on me before. Our stories are bound to fade and be forgotten, everything we've done, where we came from…one hundred years from now it'll all be a silly myth at best. A tale they read in Henry's book. Even with the castles and fairies, no one will ever realize the people they read about stood in line behind them at the grocery store."

"Mmm, actually I heard that they got quite an earful from Goldilocks at the register last week," Sabine pointed out.

There was silence at the adult table following David's pronouncement and Sabine's attempt at humor, and she understood why. David had a point. The girls, including the one in Gideon's school all thought it was a joke, special effects, as Regina pointed out. To them she was just playing Belle, just as Goldilocks was simply playing that role, like an actress or a fan. They weren't real to them. Though she'd thought about all that before they'd come she'd never really thought about it in the way that David had just stated. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Myths and legends would once more become silly stories. Who knew, with all their castles and village towns someday their tiny town might actually become a tourist trap, a place people came to tour castles and pretend like they were in the stories they loved so much. The idea of it made her chill; it made her feel like an animal in the cage being looked at. And even more frightening still, while their children knew the truth about who they were, how long until even that faded, how many generations would it take for David to be talked about as the Grandfather who used to play Prince Charming? Eventually, where they were from would be forgotten, a funny story told by elementary kids in a play that would always be filled with "well that's what people say but we all know it can't possibly be true." It was the most sobering, sadest feeling she'd ever had.

But Regina took that moment to roll her eyes and pick up her wine glass. "Don't be so dramatic," she muttered taking a drink. "Everyone needs to get a hold of themselves. Our stories won't be forgotten and neither will we, Henry's seen to that with his book. And what do you think I'm doing out there day after day? I'm trying to make sure that doesn't happen. I'm trying to make sure that our stories will be preserved in this land while remaining a mystery to outsiders."

"That requires us to define 'outsider'," she commented.

"The Palmers already think that's fiction," Lucy pointed out in argument. "The whole world does!"

"It's difficult not to believe when you have a name like 'Snow White'," Snow commented. "You don't think they'll notice that. What if I meet one of their girls on the street or someone asks my real name?"

"And if memory serves you go by Mrs. Nolan in school. Or at least you did. Snow might not be a common name but you could always say your mother was a fan of the story and that's why you chose this identity, or the snow, get a little creative."

"You could always go back to using Mary Margaret," Zelena suggested.

"I think that would like going back to being cursed," Snow balked.

"So now we're to lie about who we are and where we're from," she questioned at the other end of the table.

"It's not lying it's protecting our legacy," Regina argued. "I'm trying to keep us all safe here! I'm making hard decisions, that's why you named me Queen. And there are much more difficult names to cover up than Snow White," she informed them. "Zelena and Rapunzel for example."

"My name isn't exactly synonymous with the Wicked Witch in this realm, thank you very much," Zelena argued.

"No, I'll give you that, but Rapunzel might be a bit more tricky," Regina comment. "I don't suppose you could think of another name to use if they ask you for a real one?"

She nearly choked on her food. It seemed a nearly ridiculous suggestion and a highly unfair one! As someone who spent so long without one and then too long with another one she knew just how identifying a name was. Did Regina intend to go through all of Storybrooke's records and find everyone with a telling name so they could change them? Or would only those that Regina knew about have to change?

"She has to change her name, but Snow doesn't?" she argued on behalf of her friend. "Why can't she be creative too? Gideon! Eat your green beans, don't play with them!" she called across the room, catching a glimpse of her son using his green beans as if they were Lincoln Logs.

Gideon hung his head in despair, feeling guilty for being caught, then went back to heading and did as she said. "Yes, Mother."

"Belle it's alright, I don't mind if that's what needs to be done," Rapunzel inserted when the conversation returned to the table as the children went back to their food.

"I do mind," she stated.

"She can get creative too," Regina conceded. "I'm just saying that now that the realms have been joined, we have to protect them and ourselves, in some ways this was bound to happen when I cast the curse-"

Granny made a small noise in the back of her throat.

"Blessing," Regina corrected. "We live in a place unlike any other and we have responsibilities unlike others. If we want to live here, then we have to live here, and that means assimilating as best we can."

"Right…with Emerald City in the background," Killian pointed out as they went on arguing.

She was not as convinced as Regina was that it was best. Neither were a lot of others. Was that what they wanted if they were here? She'd never stopped to consider it before that night. Why did she and Rumple still live in this realm? What was their reasoning for it? It wasn't family, at least not blooded family. He had none, and the only family that she had wasn't speaking with her. They had Henry and Gideon had cousins and friends, but…Gideon saw more of them than they did. The people around the table she counted as family, some she liked and knew more than others, but she couldn't say that they interacted with each other consistently enough to be an anchor. Education was always a possibility, she liked school here, but she was indifferent to the kind of school that Gideon attended and their new guidelines for his magic.

Friends was really the only possibility that she could come up with. Gideon had friends, Neal and Robin and even Philip. They all had Rapunzel and her new family. And the thought of leaving her was heartbreaking but…was that the reason they were still there? Regina had always told them, and Rumple had always stressed that in fact, Regina had not joined all the realms together, there were others out there. Did they really want to assimilate to this world?

The question had haunted her ever since that night and weighed heavier and heavier on her as each day passed and Rapunzel kept throwing names at her to choose. She hadn't had quite the issue with Regina's request as she had. In fact, she seemed to be almost excited about it.

"What about Susan?"

"Susan?"

"You don't like it? Do I not look like a Susan? I was Susan in the Black Fairy's curse-"

"I don't think that's an example to strive for."

"-I was also thinking about Rachel or maybe Raquel if I wanted to stick with the letter 'R'. Flynn did a lot of running in his early days, and he always says it's best to keep the first letter the same, less hesitation when you have to answer someone. What do you think? Could I pass as a Rachel or Raquel? I'm leaning toward Raquel."

She only shook her head, feeling like they'd had this conversation a million times before. "No, you look like…you just look like Rapunzel to me!"

Her friend offered her a soft smile. "You don't want me to do this, do you?"

"No, I don't see the need! A name is important, as someone who had none for twenty-eight years, I can't imagine being anyone other than 'Belle'. Haven't you talked to Flynn about it? What does he think?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "He says the same as you, to him I'll always be 'Rapunzel', but he doesn't have a problem with changing the name in public, for the future. I hope that Pascal will apply to college someday and it would look odd to see 'Rapunzel' listed on the application under 'Mother's name'."

She shook her head. She was thinking about Pascal going to college already? He wasn't even two yet. But clearly, if she was thinking about that then she saw herself here for quite a long time, possibly forever. She tried to think about whether or not she'd ever thought of those things, of Gideon growing up here, going to High School, then to college, getting married…she'd thought of the last before, and she had thought of him advancing his education, but she'd never thought of him applying to colleges here. Why was that? And how would the name Rumpelstiltskin look on a college application under "father's name"?

"Rapunzel…have you ever thought about…about leaving? Maybe finding another realm like the Enchanted Forest or even Camelot?"

Rapunzel chuckled. "No. Why? Have you?"

Had she?

"No, I haven't."

No, she didn't think so. At least she hadn't thought about it until now. But now Regina's words made her uncertain. Did she want to stay here? Did she want to assimilate and someday leave all of their world behind? Gideon believed them now about where they were from, but he'd never been there. And Gideon believed in Santa Claus and the North Pole! She knew that was bound to fade eventually. Would his belief in where they claimed to be from fade too? Would their grandchildren or great-grandchildren believe their stories? Or would they just be funny things their grandparents used to talk about? Would the castles in the distance be tourist traps or part of their history? And what about Rumple?

As she examined her gray streak in the mirror that night before bed the thought that had never occurred to her suddenly popped into her mind clear and terrifying all at once. She'd thought of that gray streak as good and beautiful; it meant she was catching up to her husband because he was stationary. She was catching up because time was passing for her, but his curse kept him immortal. What would happen as she continued to age?

"You've been awfully quiet tonight," Rumple observed as she finally turned off the light and crawled into bed. "Long day at school?"

"No. Well…yes, but…no."

He stared at her as she burrowed deep into their blankets. Then he turned to shut off the light by his bedside and settled down beside her so that they were both on their sides facing one another.

"Yes and no…what's going on?"

So much was going on. But there was only one thing that mattered, one thing that she'd settled on in all of her thinking since Thanksgiving.

"Rumple…I want to take Gideon to the Enchanted Forest this summer. I mean…I want to take him to another part of Storybrooke, somewhere he hasn't been yet, somewhere from our past."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

"Sightseeing? Maybe we could go see Merida or Camelot or find Roland and the other Merry Men. Maybe we could just wander around what used to be the Enchanted Forest for a bit-"

"I didn't ask where you wanted to go, I asked why you wanted to go to one of those places in particular," he corrected. "I thought you wanted to take summer classes."

She shrugged. "So my projected graduation date will be May of next year instead of December. I can make it work. It's just something I've been thinking of," she admitted. "I've been thinking a lot about those other realms, the ones that Regina didn't bring with her and the beans that we have. I'd like to go to those Realms someday Rumple, you always said we would. I think that with what we have here it would be a good way to start with Gideon. But if you think it's a bad idea-"

"I didn't say that," he argued. "I just want us to be aware that the magic beans we possess are not eternal, if we use them we will run out of them eventually. I want us to be smart about how we use them."

Eternal. Just like he was eternal and she was not. What a dreadful thought to be unable to shake free so suddenly. But she thought back to another thought she'd had once, one that had stuck in her head shortly after the realms had been reunited and she'd met Uncle Henry's new family and they'd had to deal with a copy of Zelena and Robin out in the world somewhere. Where was his copy? And if her hunch was right about where his copy was, which thought was more dreadful? What did the future have in store for them? For him?

"That's why I want to do this," she pressed. "So that in the future we can plan carefully how to use them," she insisted. "Going somewhere in what used to be the Enchanted Forest doesn't require a bean, and I just want Gideon to see where we're from, where he's from, the life he would have had. We always talked as if we were going to take him to those parts of Storybrooke one day when he was old enough. Don't you think he's old enough now?"

"He is so long as we keep a close eye on him."

"What do you think?" she questioned into the silence as they stared at one another.

Eventually he nodded. "If it's what you want, we'll give it a try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was an interesting chapter that really served one purpose and one purpose only: dissatisfaction. The truth of the matter is that eventually Belle, Rumple, and Gideon have to leave Storybrooke. Now, no matter what I always knew that decision was never going to be an easy one but that being said I wanted to start to make the decision in and of itself a little easier by starting to instill a feeling in Belle of "is this what we want long term?" It also forces the others to ask the question what is going to happen in their land? What becomes of it now that it is curse-free in a new realm? Dr. Palmer and his family are completely normal people from a very normal place. Outsiders have invaded. What happens to the town when Justine and Samantha have their friends from PA up for the summer and they start posting pictures on twitter and instagram of the castles and mountains and what happens when Storybrooke meets the 21st century. What future does it hold for Storybrooke and what future lies in store for her guardians, the citizens of the town? These are things that will eventually have to be addressed. But will Rumple and Belle stick around to address them? And if not where will they go?
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner for your wonderful comments on the last chapter. We still have aways to go in this section but as you can see I'm starting to plant some seeds early to make the leaving in the next few chapters a bit less of a shock. I wanted it to be a gradual thing that made sense and not something that was just kinda carried out willy nilly. I'm not sure how you'll take this chapter, but like the citizen's of Storybrooke, I have a feeling it will be a bit divided. Just promise me you'll stick around to see the follow through. Peace and Happy Reading!


	22. Father and Son

They were nearly prepared. In one month Gideon would be finished with third grade and that meant that in one month and one day they would be making the trip to the Enchanted Forest section of Storybrooke. They hadn't actually told Gideon this yet. They wanted to go free from Uncle Henry and Regina and even David and Snow and were afraid if they shared what they were doing others would want to come along or make it some kind of ambassador mission. She wanted it to be just them. She wanted to be a normal tourist, with no thought of fear in the minds of those around them that the Dark One was near. But it was difficult to explain that to an eight-year-old, to tell him that lying was bad but if his friends asked where he was going this summer, he should tell them something else. Instead, they'd chosen to tell Gideon that where they were taking him was a surprise and when others asked them where they were going they were vague "out of the country", "a castle tour", "to the country", "camping". They allowed them to fill in the blanks and hoped that when they came back and Gideon spoke of it they would continue in that vein. The only one who really knew where they were going and how they were getting there was Rapunzel and Flynn. In order to keep up appearances Rapunzel was volunteering to drive them to the cabin, like they had departed last time, so that no one could say that they had left town but find their car hiding in the woods. In fact, they'd asked Rapunzel to use it every once in a while so that the battery wouldn't go dead.

With still a month to go she was surprised by how the preparations were nearly complete. Though she supposed it made sense, seeing as how she'd been working herself to the bone to complete them before finals this week. In that part of Storybrooke people still dressed as they had in the Enchanted Forest; they planned to be gone for two months, and she only owned one dress that wouldn't stick out and declare them visitors from the main town. She'd need more. So, late at night, after Gideon went to bed, she'd been sewing and toiling almost endlessly to create herself a few more, or perhaps "recreate" was a better word. They were original, and nothing so close as the replica of her blue dress, but she used previous dresses she'd owned for inspiration. A long sleeved green dress she'd owned at Rumple's castle for chilly nights. A floral pink dress she wanted for special occasions, should any arise. And a sunny yellow one that reminded her of the ballgown she'd discarded long ago, though this was far easier to move it. She'd taken it upon herself to sew the boy's clothes. Getting her husband's vests with high collars just right was perhaps the second hardest task, the first was sewing for Gideon. When he'd started school this year his head had come up to her chest, now that he was finishing he was well past her shoulder. Rumple believed that next year he would finally pass her in height. They'd brought clothes that Neal had once owned back from Rumple's castle years ago, but it was all almost too small for him now. In the end they were helpful to give her a guide as to how to make clothes for him. Still, it all had to be made from scratch.

As for how they were planning to stay there for two months, they had agreed that they wanted to see as much of the country as possible and that they didn't want to travel by magic once they were there. But they'd both lived there before and knew that even before the curse towns tended to be clustered together with nothing but open space between them for miles. They'd sleep in inns when they arrived in various towns, but for the nights in between Rumpelstiltskin had purchased two very large tents, foam roll-ups to keep comfortable on the ground, and sleeping bags for all of them, along with other essentials like water bottles and pots and pans for camping. It would have been a lot of stuff, and if they worked together they could carry it, but he planned to arrive close to a town where they could purchase a cart and a couple of horses to haul it for them and then they could sell it all before they returned. She'd warned him against that plan because she knew her son would be heartbroken at returning the animals and not being able to keep them, Gideon had been begging them for a dog all year. But Rumple only said Gideon would have to learn to be alright with it and continued making plans.

They intended to go to Camelot since it was an area that they were slightly familiar with and she hoped she might have friends there. They were hoping to drop in on Merida in Dunbroch, and Rumple desperately wanted to see the inside of Merlin's tower for himself, "to look through the books" he'd explained. Over the years she hadn't forgotten about the book he'd taken from his own castle, but she hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about it either. Now she wondered once more if there was something he was looking for, or if it was all in her head.

Either way, she couldn't fret about it too much, for it was not the only thing in her head at the moment. Finals were upon her, and for this week only she'd decided that preparing for the summer trip could wait. They had gladly accepted her plan to allow her not to take the courses over the summer and instead push back her graduation date, but she was still taking, and probably always would take, more classes than anyone so that she could graduate in three years rather than four. Most of the time she had no problem with that until finals came up and she found herself taking tests and writing papers morning to night. She was extremely appreciative of the fact that she had a job that was quiet and allowed her to work on them in the work place and even more thankful of her husband and Rapunzel, who made dinner, picked up Gideon, and helped in any way they could.

She had only one more exam, one more to finish before she could leave, but it was so easy it was almost laughable. A biology exam, a general education requirement that simply required her to memorize facts and write them down on a piece of paper instead of writing a paper. Science courses were not her forte, but she'd studied until she knew it all and when she left the testing room she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She hadn't scored perfectly, she knew that, but with any luck, she'd passed with her perfect "A" grades intact. She'd been walking downstairs, preparing to text Rumpelstiltskin that she'd passed and he should come to pick her up so they could take Gideon out to dinner to celebrate tonight...when she saw that he'd already texted her first.

She expected congratulations or some other kind of note about how proud he was of her for doing what she was doing. Instead, what she got was "call me as soon as you are done with your exam." That did not sound promising.

She called right away. Rumpelstiltskin's voice was hushed but stern enough for her to recognize that something was wrong. He was at Gideon's school and Gideon, while unhurt, was once more in the principal's office. The school wasn't far from her own, and she was able to get a ride from someone she knew to the elementary school. Her stomach turned in the office when she saw another boy with his arm in a sling sitting between two parents, his nose bloodied. All three of them looked at her with recognition and suddenly the hope that she'd find Neal and Gideon in that office diminished. Behind the principal's closed door she heard raised voices, one of which she recognized not as her husband, but as Regina.

"We just can't have this, not with the new people in town! Not with one of them going to school in his class."

"You can't restrict his magic!" Rumple yelled back as she opened the door.

"I can't and I won't, but I can ask you to be discreet about it! Or enroll him where it won't be as much of an issue."

"So you're school or no school then!"

"Rumple!" she shut the door behind her and located Gideon sitting in a chair looking far more angry than guilty as Regina and Rumple stared one another down and the principle sat there in her seat almost calmly. It was the oddest thing to see, Rumple in his suit, Regina in a gown and jewels. "What's going on?"

"Mrs. Gold, I'm so glad you finally decided to join us," the principal smiled with a grin that immediately got under her skin.

"I'm sorry, I was taking my last final, and I had my phone off. What is happening here? Why is Regina here?"

"I called her down; I felt that for a matter this serious she should be part of the conversation. I understand your families are connected."

She could think of about a dozen witty comebacks to a comment like that, but instead, she chose to sit by her son and put her hand on his shoulder. Something was very not right about the entire situation, and she could sense it in her blood, right down to her bones. Gideon was a good boy; when he got in trouble, he always looked guilty, not angry. She couldn't understand why he would look like that if he were truly in trouble.

"Can you please explain to me why we are here?" she questioned.

The principal sighed. "Gideon attacked another student with magic today."

"It wasn't like that!" Gideon shouted

"Gideon did what?" she questioned.

"You haven't heard his side!" Rumple growled.

The principal held her hand up to quite the ensuing noise and room quieted.

"Gideon…do you deny that you used magic to push Blane against the wall?" the Principle asked him.

"No, but-"

"Then you used magic against him."

"Gideon!" she gasped.

"No one was hurt seriously this time," the principal explained. "Blane is a little bruised, but he'll be fine. However, I did warn you that magic was not to be used in these halls!"

"He's just a boy," Rumple argued. "He's untrained."

"Then train him!" Regina snapped. "You're good at that if I recall."

"I am, but even you know I can only do so much at a time."

"Be that as it may!" the principal interrupted. "I'm afraid we'll have to suspend him for a week."

"A week!"

"But I didn't-"

"It's a week," she insisted. "And maybe in that time, you can learn a little more control so that this doesn't happen again."

"But he-"

"Gideon Gold, violence is never the answer and in these halls neither is magic! I'll see your teachers gather up your homework and you can collect it tomorrow, so you don't fall behind. And I expect you to apologize to Blane on the way out."

"No! He was the one who-"

"We do not talk back to adults!" the principal insisted. She felt angry and wanted to reach across the desk and tell her not to talk over her boy. There was clearly something that Gideon was trying to say, something that he wasn't being permitted to say but she didn't want to hear it, and it appeared Rumple didn't want to hear her anymore.

"Belle, Gideon, let's go," he snapped gathering up his son's backpack. She rose from her seat with a hand on Gideon. He ducked under her touch and ran out into the office. She watched as he ran up to the boy, spat out a quick "I'm sorry" then ran out of the school.

"Gideon!" she trailed after him, but he didn't go far. Outside he kicked a concrete wall and then sat down on the steps with his head in his folded arms, and his back ridged.

"Take these." Rumple handed her Gideon's backpack and jacket. "We need to talk, just the two of us."

Her soul rebelled against that thought. She wanted to go with the two of them; she wanted to know what had happened and what Rumple could possibly say to him to fix it. He needed his mother! But Rumple's gaze fought her words before they'd even left her mouth. This wasn't something he was going to argue about or concede to, he wanted to talk to Gideon and he was going to.

"It'll be alright Belle, take the car, we'll meet you at home."

She hated that. She hated being dismissed when something was so clearly wrong, but she knew when her arguments didn't stand a chance, and this was one of those times. She took the bag and jacket from Rumple and fumbled with the keys in her hand.

"I'll be waiting at home," she gave in.

As she walked away, she could hear Rumple approach their son and inform him they were going on a walk.

The hours were agony. He'd dismissed her to go home but with her finals over there was nothing to study for and she couldn't focus enough to read. Instead she found herself by her sewing machine, working with a purple fabric she intended to make into a new dress. Minutes ticked by into hours. The long day light began to fade into twilight. She got up from her place at the sewing machine and began to start dinner just to keep her hands busy. She was just about to call Rumple and ask what was happening, where they were, and how much longer he intended them to be gone when she heard the front door open. She turned the burner down and hurried out to the hallway to check on them and immediately felt the force of her son crashing into her, hugging her tight around her middle. She glanced at Rumple across the hall, still standing by the door and he nodded at her, a small gesture she found reassuring. She sighed in relief and put her arms around her boy, running her fingers through his sandy hair and kissing the top of his head. She didn't know what happened, but she knew that no matter what he'd done she'd always love him, always believe in him, and she suspected that was what he was looking for now. She was happy to give it, even if she was in the dark.

"Wash up for dinner," she finally informed him. "It'll be ready in about ten minutes."

Gideon nodded, found the place that she'd put his backpack when he got home and went into the dining room to sort through his things like usual. Only then was it Rumple's turn to come forward, squeeze her shoulders, and kiss her forehead.

"There's nothing to worry about, everything's fine. We'll talk about it later."

She assumed that "later" meant after Gideon went to bed, but it turned into an early night for all of them. It had been a long day, and a long week of finals for her. When Rumple had returned from tucking Gideon in for the night he suggested they retire early and she'd been all too happy to give into a request like that. In fact, for the first time in a long while she beat him into bed and lay there in silence watching her husband flit around the room. He seemed heavier than normal, as though he was carrying weight that she was not. It was the burden of their son, one she didn't understand but wanted desperately to. It was so heavy on him that when he finally sat down on his side and turned off the light she expected the bed would crack and crumble beneath it.

"Rumple…" she finally whispered into the stillness. "What happened?"

He was still for a while, simply staring out the window at the crescent moon before he finally pulled up the blankets and rolled over to face her. She could see the conflict in his eyes as if he was searching for the words to say and how to say them. But to her surprise, when he opened his mouth, it wasn't to talk, but rather to kiss. He placed a hand over neck, drawing her in then let it travel down her arm, over her waist, and finally resting on her back where he gave a gentle tug and pulled her closer.

After nearly nine years of marriage she had learned the signs for when something like this was bound to occur, but with everything going on she had not guessed that tonight of all nights he'd want to make love to her. Gently and slowly. His touch over her body was light in contrast to the heaviness she'd sensed earlier, his mouth stayed on her own and didn't falter, their breath remained relatively calm and even. She didn't scratch or bite, just tangled herself around him and enjoyed the partnership their moving bodies offered. It was nearly an hour later as they lay in bed staring at one another, hands joined and legs tangled at the knees that she noticed the tired look in his eyes where she swore she could see every year he'd ever collected gathered there. She leaned forward to kiss him once more and held her hand over his chest.

"Am I correct in assuming you don't want to tell me what happened with our son today?" she finally asked sadly. It was the only reason she could gather for any of this. For why he'd had her leave when they went on their walk, for why he'd told her not to worry and insisted they go to bed, for why he'd felt the need to make love so unexpectedly immediately after she'd asked before. Not knowing would sadden her, but if didn't want to tell her she'd live with it. She would allow Rumple and Gideon that small bit of privacy if he wanted it. If…

"The boy was picking on another student," he finally explained in a low tired tone. "Gideon saw him push him to the ground and kick him. He got angry and overreacted in an attempt to help the boy and that was all the teacher saw of the incident. The boy he helped ran away as soon as he could. Gideon was doing the right thing, he just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. But he said that he felt he had to rescue the boy."

She felt her blood chill as her eyes widened. That story sounded familiar; it was just a different ending.

"The boy from the Black Fairy's realm…"

Rumple nodded. "The two urges certainly seem to have a lot in common."

"He finally rescued him," she added. And yet no one would ever know it but them, especially not if they refused to listen to his side of the story. "That's what he kept trying to explain to the principal, every time he insisted she wasn't right."

"And she ignored him," Rumple confirmed.

She wanted so badly to march into that school tomorrow and tell her herself, but she knew that this had to be handled delicately. Yes, Gideon had used magic to help someone else, but he'd also used to harm someone else, and that wasn't right either. A bully of bullies was still a bully, and Gideon had to learn how to help children in the right way. She wasn't about to punish him for what he'd done, but there certainly was a conversation to be had…and maybe already had been discussed. She looked at her husband, his eyes closing in exhaustion as her thumb stroked his skin.

"What did you tell him?" she wondered aloud.

He didn't even open his eyes, merely let out a long sigh and rubbed her hip, urging her closer to him. "We talked about having power and the temptation to use that power in good ways and bad ways. We talked about punishment and anger and how there are different appropriate reactions for both and how we have to be careful not to give into the voices in our head that tempt us."

She smiled. The conversation had already been had then. Spectacularly as well! No, she hadn't been there to hear it word for word, but if that was his summary of it then he'd hit all the points she would have wanted him to and even a few more. And as she thought about it now she realized why she'd been excused from such a conversation. He was the one Gideon needed to have it with. He was the one with the experience and not just untested advice. If there ever was a perfect person to teach that lesson to their son, it was his father. He'd learned the same lessons over the years through much more difficult means.

"How do you do it?" she whispered as he began to trace the veins on her chest by memory. "What do you do when you feel the temptation? When you start to hear the voices in your head again?" Because she was sure, even after all this time, now and then he still did.

His eyes remained closed as a smile spread over his face. "I come home and make love to you. It never fails." Without a further word he gathered her up in his arms, and they both let out breathes of relief before closing their eyes and going to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> True story. This chapter was so close to being placed into Exile, because I was really on the fence about whether or not it was really important to this story. I mean, don't get me wrong, I think it's a really good chapter, I think the end is sweet and all, but ultimately there wasn't much in here that was really important. In the end, I decided to include it for a few reasons. The first was simply because there really wasn't a lot of room for a lot of the details of their trip to the Enchanted Forest in the next chapter. The second was to show that more of Gideon's past was bleeding through. The third and final reason was so that we might see that Rumple's problems aren't really gone. Perfect as things are for them, he is still a man that faces temptation. The difference here is that he's fighting it far more successfully than he was in the past.
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. Appreciated as always. With so little to show for this "time" in Storybrooke I knew I'd have to come up with something and I did want it to be kind of slow and gradual. I'm not pleased with what my version means Storybrooke will become but I think that it is a fairly accurate version. Peace and Happy Reading!


	23. Unrelenting Problems

Gideon was now the proud owner of two beautiful stallions. She'd always thought that Rumple's plan of going to the Enchanted forest, buying two horses and then selling them before they left, was a bit ambitious considering their son.

Throughout the summer Gideon had the time of his life. Camelot was just the place for an eight-year-old boy who was soon to be nine. The sword fights, the gleaming armor, even the farriers had entranced him. Preserved safely in Storybrooke, with no electricity or paved roads to Camelot's name, when they arrived by magic, they'd made their purchase of a wooden cart and two horses in the square. Gideon had promptly named the black and white one "S'more" and the palomino "Buttercup" after his favorite treats.

Though Camelot was very much so still the way it had been the last time she'd been here, and untouched by the technology of Storybrooke, it was still different than she remembered, right down to the feeling in the air. No longer did it have that feeling of lies or curses, instead it smelled like spring. Roses bloomed in the gardens by the side of the dirt roads, and ahead of her rising up on the horizon was a new castle, one that she did not recognize from her time there. In fact, when she looked into the distance where she believed that the castle she'd stayed in had once been located, all that she saw was a tower that looked strikingly like Merlin's.

They spent their first night there in an inn and it took them nearly two hours to get Gideon to go to sleep instead of staring out the window at what was happening below. "Next time he gets his own room," Rumple grumbled when he was finally asleep and he could curl up next to her. She agreed, though part of her didn't like the idea of Gideon sleeping away from her in a strange inn. As a child she'd heard all manner of awful stories surrounding what happened at inns. Though that had never been her experience, she wasn't keen on risking it. But in the morning Rumple had insisted and she compromised with him by allowing him to place a protection spell over the room once they'd gotten Gideon to sleep. They'd planned only to stay for a week or so, as she was desperate to get to DunBroch and see if she could find Merida, but on their fourth day a royal parade had come through town and Gideon had run ahead of them, pressing to the very front of the crowd to see the King and Queen. She was pleased to see the faces of Lancelot and Guinevere. She'd heard of things like this, that though Regina had become Queen of all the land, each former Kingdom still held to their royals of old, who Regina worked with as she developed New Storybrooke. They rode through the town on horseback, hand in hand with three small children, two boys and a girl, who all resembled Lancelot behind them. She hadn't been looking when Lancelot spotted her. As far as she was concerned her only goal was to get to Gideon at the front of the crowd so that she wouldn't lose him and when she finally caught up with him she grabbed his arm and told him not to wander away from him while they were away from home. It was then that she heard a voice call out over her shoulder "Belle?!"

She turned instantly and saw Lancelot's face light up as he stopped his horse and the rest of his family followed. "It is you! Belle!" he exclaimed jumping from the horse and running forward to give her a hug that picked her up off her feet. It wasn't long until Guinevere joined them. The crowd gave them a wide berth for their reunion and after pleasantries were exchanged Guinevere announced that they would not be returning to the inn, but would come to the castle as their guests. She insisted and had guards immediately fetch their belongs.

Gideon was amazed by the castle, by the food, and the gowns ("but of course you are still the most beautiful, Mother") and she reveled in those days watching him take it all in. He was so caught up in learning how to swordfight and joust with Lancelot that he completely forgot to complain about the land's lack of proper bathrooms, something she knew Regina was working on bringing them, in addition to electricity. Having the Dark One in their castle had come as quite a shock to Guinevere, or course, but Lancelot, who had spent far more time with her in his sane mind than she had, assured her that if she thought it was safe, then it was. Soon dinner after dinner was filled with stories, tales of what happened to everyone, from Arthur to Zelena. She was genuinely saddened to hear about Arthur's death but calmly explained that she'd suspected that might be the case for a very long time. When they had come to this world, and he didn't seek them out she figured he must either be in prison or dead. Lancelot had merely reached for her hand and held it tight in his own, mourning the loss of what was once a wonderful friendship, among other things he obviously chose not to remember.

Though they weren't the only ones to learn of a world they had once called home, it was only after she believed that they'd discussed everything there was to discuss that Guinevere smiled and sat back in her chair.

"And of course you never told us of your history. It was only after we returned that we heard of your royal blood, Princess." Gideon went still as a statue at the news.

"Mother, you're…you're a-"

"It was a long time ago, my love," she excused. "I'm not the same person I was then, someday you'll understand. But…do you know…what became of my former…Kingdom?" she asked of the royal family. "Was it carried over? I always assumed but I've never thought to check."

Guinevere smiled sadly. "You could say they are under new management, as is most of the Enchanted Forest. With the return of people from your world a few years ago and the next generation rising up here many former lands have been reclaimed by new monarchs. Regina governs us, but we still maintain governance over our own people. She says it's all very "democratic". But I assure you, he who runs your Kingdom is benevolent to his people."

The news was a relief, happy even. Her people, whoever was left at least, finally had the King they'd always desired, and he was good to them. Meanwhile, she was truly leading the life she knew she was born to live. She stretched out her arm and held her son close. All truly had worked out just as it should.

Days bled into weeks and soon their days in the castle were numbered as they began to discuss moving on. For she was correct, the tower she'd seen in the distance, Rumple had heard was truly all that remained of the "old castle" was Merlin's tower, which never so much as crumbled in the destruction of the old one. He wanted to see it, to go through its contents and with their blessings, they set off for the tower. They didn't have to stay in the tents, the abandoned "Former Camelot" as she'd heard the royal family call it, still had houses. Though they'd been abandoned for quite some time, one of them provided fitting shelter for them as Rumple searched through the remains, unwilling to tell her what he was looking for so desperately. It reminded her of a time not so long ago, when he'd searched the Dark Castle.

"I don't suppose this has anything to do with that book you went back to your former home for, does it?"

He'd paused only momentarily, put off by the odd memory perhaps, before moving on. "It does," he answered.

"It's been years; I don't suppose you are ready to tell me what it was all about, yet."

There was another pause before he placed the book he was examining up onto the shelf and finally turned to meet her gaze. "Soon, Belle," he assured her. "I believe it'll be very soon."

They moved on not long after that empty handed. Dunbroch was only about a day away but moving with a cart meant they couldn't take the fast way across the water, as she once had, and moving with Gideon meant that sometimes their journey was slow. More than once Gideon had asked if they were still in Storybrooke and she had assured him that they were. How it was possible that Storybrooke was far bigger than Maine now and yet fit inside of it all at once was a puzzle to all of them. Rumple simply clapped his hand on Gideon's shoulder as they walked one day and squeezed. "Magic can do many things you'd never expected, Gideon. It's the best and worst part of it." It took them three days before the sound of bagpipes flooded her ears and they came across another village, with the great fortress of a castle in the distance.

It was much like it was in Camelot, they picked out an inn to stay at and meandered around the village for a few days until word of strange travelers in their midst began to circulate through the town. Merida found her then; she burst into their inn room with a look of utter disbelief, her red hair just as messy and wild as it had always been.

"I couldn't believe it was you!" she stated. "When I got word of visitors I only hoped!"

They were moved to the castle again, though fortress was a much more appropriate term for it. It was a little less lavish than Camelot's, but with its stones and weapons and torches, Gideon seemed far more impressed. The young monarch was much different than Guinevere and Lancelot, though she wasn't quite sure that her lifestyle surprised her. She was still single and had no children, but she seemed to take delight almost in the vast number of gifts suitors seemed to send to her.

"I feel like I'm the rabbit puttin' up a chase!" she described sending flowers away with a smile. "No sense in makin' it easy for 'em ay! After all, I remember a time you dinna make it so easy fer yer man!"

She smiled at the idea of that. "I wouldn't necessarily call that a chase so much as a fight. A long, hard battle both of us won in the end."

But it was clear that she enjoyed having Gideon at the castle with her. She spent more time than she declared was necessary for teaching him to use a bow and arrow and the broadsword that her clan was famous for using. She took him out with her on hunts when he expressed interest which gave her and Rumple some time to spend together alone, something that had been sorely missed since they arrived and found that living in a castle provided very little alone time. She wondered how David and Snow managed all those years ago.

When their trip came to a close they left Dunbroch and disappeared into the woods, vowing, just as they had in Camelot, they'd do what they could to return soon. But when Rumple had attempted to sell the horses so they could return to the cabin and claim they'd been away without incident, she sat back and watched as what she always knew would happen came to pass. Their son cried like he hadn't cried in years. He held firm to his horses throwing himself at their chests and begging his father to let him keep them. Rumple put up a good fight at first, but she wasn't surprised in the least bit when she saw that fight go out of his eyes and hugged Gideon in a truce. They were keeping the horses and because she'd assumed that would happen from the beginning she already had an idea of what to do with them.

Buttercup and S'more were boarded with the Charming family, at their barn, right next to Neal's horses. Gideon was ecstatic, imagining their horses being friends just as they were, but she could tell almost right away David was suspicious of them and their story that they'd bought them because Gideon had become attached during a trail ride.

"Only two horses? Not three?" he questioned.

"Well, I'm not one for riding and when I do Gideon rides with his mother," Rumple explained smoothly.

David studied him for a moment, unfooled she believed but eventually either decided to accept the story or just let it rest. "Well, won't be able to much longer if he keeps growing like that. He's almost as tall as Belle."

Almost. When he started third grade he was almost as tall as her. Toward the end of third grade he was as tall as her. Though not yet "taller" as she reminded him day by day, and certainly not when she wore her heels. Another few months she had no doubt that he would be, but for now she intended to take in every moment of his childhood she could. He was the tallest in his class by a good nine inches and by the end of the year all he talked about was going back to Camelot for summer break again. They'd made all the arrangements, gotten their things together, cleaned off the wooden cart they were hiding in the back of their cabin, and were ready to go. But there was something that they had to do first. She had to walk.

An accelerated course of study meant that even with last summer away she was graduating in three years instead of four. A Bachelors of Art in Literature. She'd never been happier to wear that ugly black robe, to put those cords around her neck, and place that funny looking hat over her head. She was so happy she cried when she finally crossed the stage, moved her tassel, and took her degree in her hands. She cried almost as much as the day she'd given birth to Gideon, almost as much as the night she'd been married. Afterward, when they all met their families out on the lawn, she had been forced to wrap her arms around her husband and cry into his neck, expelling the pent up emotions she had from it as he whispered encouraging phrases into her ear and massaged her back. It was only after that Rapunzel gave Gideon the go-ahead to hug her. After that Pascal ran into her arms and muttered what she thought was an attempt at "Congratulations Auntie" but sounded more like "cagralats Auntie". Finally, Rapunzel flung herself into her arms and looked her straight in the eye as she said she was so proud of her!

A party was planned, a dinner that Rumple had been happy to finance if Rapunzel did the actual planning it. She did. That weekend they put on their best clothes, she put on her tallest shoes so she could reach the top of her son's head, and they traveled back to an old haunt, which Rumple had paid to have cleaned, a table arranged, and Granny's cater.

"The Sorcerer's Mansion!" she breathed when she finally arrived. The day after their wedding she'd told him it would be lovely to have a family dinner in this place, knowing full well that he probably never would because he was too anti-social. But he'd arranged it, or agreed to it at least since Rapunzel had taken care of the details.

She prepared herself for a wonderful evening and a marvelous summer break to follow, she prepared to tell her husband that she was thinking about getting her Masters Degree, and Gideon moving into the fourth grade-

And that was when she noticed that Gideon had gone oddly quiet when they entered the house. Even with all the hustle and bustle he seemed oddly concerned with a table he was touching.

"Gideon…everything alright, you're awfully quiet?" she questioned.

"Mother…have I ever been here before?" he asked looking up at her with confused eyes. She glanced over at Rumple, unsure as to how to answer that question and feeling as though she was unable. The question was simple and innocent, but she had a feeling like there was more to it than she wanted to imagine.

"You were here just after you were first born," Rumple informed him. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't entirely the truth either. And she watched Gideon eagerly, waiting to see what he would say or what he would think.

"Oh…" he sighed. "That must be it then."

"What?" she questioned, her voice only a mere squeak.

"I feel like I've been here before, I guess I have."

The Charmings chose that moment to arrive, and Gideon rushed off to be with Neal all the while she and Rumple stared at each other, silently expressing their concerns before Snow came in and she had to force a smile on her face. She did that all through dinner, smiled and chatted, all the while watching Gideon and wondering…

A feeling was different than a nightmare. And speaking of nightmares, she couldn't help but be unsurprised when he woke all of them from their sleep that night, screaming, crying of giant spiders and that woman in black he always dreamed about. In a matter of seconds, one simple location had turned her dream family dinner into a nightmarish day. It took her more than an hour to settle her boy back into sleep and when she did Rumple was waiting in bed for her, his eyes open and knowing.

"What can we do? Is there anything?" she asked of him. No details were needed, they both knew exactly what she was talking about.

"No," he answered sadly. "I figured when he was a baby his mind would reset, I never believed we would have to worry about this."

"There's no way to remove the remainder of those memories, give him peace?"

"No, none that are safe for Gideon. I could make him a tonic to block the nightmares but he'd have to take it every night, and I have the feeling it would raise more questions at this age. As an infant I could have used the same tea on him I attempted to use when he belonged to my mother, but now, the dose I'd have to make in order to remove those memories would take all his memories, even you and me, he'd have to start over."

She turned her head into the pillow to wipe her tears away before they betrayed her. What an awful thought that would be. He'd be right back to where she'd been after the very first curse had broken, maybe even worse.

"I don't want that."

"Nor do I," he admitted.

But what did that leave them with? What did that leave Gideon with? Memories he didn't understand? A truth he'd never been told?

"What do we do Rumple?" she finally questioned aloud. "Do we tell him? We've never had any kind of discussion about what happened with him and Fiona, we've never told him, and we've never had a discussion about whether or not to tell him either. Have we made a mistake in that? Should we have said something?"

"Do you think we should have?"

The answer to that was simple enough.

No.

They kept no secrets in this family but every now and then this seemed to be a secret, it carried the weight of a secret, but the thought of telling him and how he'd react seemed an impossible option. She wasn't sure how he'd feel about his past but she was certain it wouldn't be good. Angry, sad, perhaps even guilty and who knew what that was likely to produce in a boy Gideon's age, what the guilt of what happened would do to him, what it would do to them! As far as Gideon knew his parents were a united force, two individuals who loved one another dearly. What would happen if he found out about all that had happened before his birth? About Hades? The Dream World? All the threats? Giving him away to the worst threat of all…she couldn't see any scenario in which that was the right choice and yet she wondered what would happen if one day he discovered it for himself.

She shook her head at his question and dabbed at her eyes again. "The thought of telling him…it puts knots in my stomach. I don't want to hide things from him, Rumple, truly I don't, but I don't want him to live with the guilt that the truth might bring him. And I know it's selfish but…I don't want him to know…I don't want him to know…"

"What happened between us?" he assumed as tears began to overtake her.

She nodded. "I can't bear him thinking I gave him up now," she managed to hiss out before crumpling into her pillow.

His arms were around her immediately, tugging and pulling until one way or another she ended up curled against his chest with her head pillowed over his arm. He rubbed her back and kissed her shoulders as it was the only thing that wasn't concealed in the tight ball she was currently in.

"That was a long time ago," he whispered to her. "And we've agreed since then we were both responsible for what happened."

But that explanation wouldn't work on their son or make it better if he knew. All he would see was two parents who had deceived and let him down instead of one.

"It doesn't matter why or how," she insisted. "All he knows now is that he has two parents who love him, who love each other…I don't want to change any of that for him," she insisted uncurling so that she could see his face. He reached out and delicately wiped away the wet under her eyes.

"Do you see any reason to tell him?" he questioned. "Any reason he needs to know, other than these dreams and feelings he gets?"

She thought about it for a brief second but no more because the answer was simple. No. She didn't. If he wasn't having the dreams if he didn't get these feelings, then she would consider this something in the past and would be happy to simply let it be forgotten about as they built their family together. Interrupting that for dreams seemed silly.

"No," she finally answered aloud. "Do you?" Her voice was only a squeak on her final word, but it betrayed just how sad she was about the entire thing. She didn't want to have this conversation but if he came up with a reason for it, a reason that they absolutely had to have it then she'd go along with whatever he said, presenting the same united front they had ever since they'd gotten him back from their terrible mistakes.

"No," he answered after a second. "I think we wait for the moment to reveal itself and if the need should arise then we'll tell him. But if it doesn't there is no reason to bother him with what was."

That was a response that made her very happy indeed. It was a conversation they probably should have had years ago, but it was certainly better late than never. Her only fret now was that it didn't purge their son of the dreams and feelings he'd continue to have.

"What do we do when he wakes up in the night screaming? What do we do when he recognizes some place he's been?"

"We treat the boy he is now rather than the man he was then. We'll tell him he was there after he was born just as he was and you'll hush him back to sleep just as you always do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a very selfish reason why I chose to have Gideon's memories still haunt him and it's a reason you may not expect but still have experience with me on. The reason is simply imperfection. Seems strange I know, but this goes back to the "life isn't perfect and no one is either" notion. You have here the Gold family and though they have their little issues for the most part their family is pretty close to perfect...but no one is perfect. Through all their talk of "we're an open family" and "we don't keep secrets" I wanted it to be clear that the Golds are still keeping a pretty big secret from their son. Is it warranted? I think yes, but I know there are some who probably don't agree with that. But what I liked about the situation was that by keeping this secret together it simultaneously shows how much has changed and also how much hasn't. Should they tell him, should they not? Again, personally I think not telling him is fine. Gideon is in a good place, I side with Rumple and Belle in thinking he doesn't need to know what he attempted to do in another realm or how against each other his parents were. He's happy and healthy both in mind and body and the way I see it telling him could potentially undo that. Laying the sins of a 30 year old kidnap victim on a 9-year-old boy who had never known fear seems, in my opinion, more like abuse than good parenting. But again, I'm also aware that there are many who probably don't share that viewpoint.
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you Goldenspinner and Taisch for your reviews on the last chapter. I'm glad that you liked it! I'm glad that was a chapter that I ultimately decided to put back in for you! We are officially half way through this fiction, if you can believe it! I hope you'll like what comes in the next half! Peace and Happy Reading!


	24. Unknown Summertime Destinations

Gideon was happy and oblivious.

He was happy to be back exploring parts of New Storybrooke over his Summer break but also completely unaware about the significance of where his parents had taken him, or rather, where his father had taken them as Rumple had been the one to plan the trip. She'd been oblivious too, keeping silent about the place he wanted to go and bringing them through in the middle of a deserted forest just as he had when they went to Camelot. They spent only a night or two in their tents, traveling before something smelled familiar, and she was aware of where they were. Aware or not, she hardly believed it the first time she looked around the market, hardly changed since her very first visit here and the castle that reminded her of glass.

"You…you didn't…we're in…we're in Arendelle?!" she blanched looking around. Her waist twisted and turned but her feet stayed firmly planted, too overwhelmed and shocked to take steps forward or back. "Arendelle…Gideon?!"

"Belle…" Rumple's face very quickly filled her vision as he stepped forward and placed his hands over her arms.

"You brought us here. You brought me here, why…why would you do this without giving me a warning?"

"Because I was afraid you might decline, to be honest. And years ago..." he reached between them to take her hands in her own. "Years ago I took a very special moment from you. I want to give it back to you."

It was a touching gesture, and while he'd succeeded in calming her down, she didn't have her wits about her at all. Just as when they'd arrived in Camelot, they took up refuge in a couple of rooms over a small tavern for a few days while she stared ahead at the royal palace and worked up her courage. She thought she'd placed all this behind her, she thought that she'd settled for knowing that Anna was alive and that she'd think nothing of her, but now that she knew Anna was only a few blocks away she felt all her old fears creep back to her. How was she ever to apologize for what she'd done? For choosing her memories over Anna's life? The word "sorry" just wasn't good enough!

"You just do it, Belle," Rumple informed her as she paced on their fifth night in Arendelle. "You say the word and take comfort in knowing that you've said it. Besides you've told me before she would forgive you!"

"Testing that theory is a lot more difficult than putting it into practice!" she spat back. "And…how am I even supposed to say it anyway? She's the Princess; she lives with her sister the Queen in the palace, am I just supposed to knock on the door and ask for Anna? I'm sure she answers the door all the time!" She took a deep breath and rubbed her face with her hands, suddenly aware of just how nasty her words sounded. "Sorry, I'm just…I don't know what I am."

From the spot he'd been sitting on the bed, her husband sighed, then rose and strode the full two steps across the room that it took to get to her and put his arms tight around her shoulders. "You are courageous, and strong, and beautiful, even though you haven't slept since we got here. You made one mistake decades ago when you were but a child that has haunted you ever since. The person you are now deserves to confront the person you were then."

The person she was now had to confront who she was then. That was something that struck her, something she hadn't thought about. Yes, deep down she wanted to apologize to Anna, but Rumple had known before she had that what she wanted more than anything was to apologize to herself, to be forgiven. She didn't take her past sins lightly, not a single one of them. He knew more than anyone else that she still sat up late at night, haunted by giving Gideon away and enabling Rumple's mother to steal him. She deserved to be forgiven for that. And as if by magic the answer to making it happened appeared two days later in the form of a flyer, crudely printed up by a printing press, delivered with excitement by her son. "Winter in Summer!" it read. "Come celebrate the summer solstice with a touch of Winter! Castle gates open for an evening of dancing, skating, snowmen, and dinner!"

"It's like Christmas in July!" Gideon said excitedly. "The King and Queen are supposed to be there! Can we go, mother? Please, can we Papa?!" Fate had made the arrangements for her. The next two days were spent talking to local merchants, buying the appropriate clothes for such an occasion which included skates for Gideon. He'd made friends with a couple of boys down the block who had helped teach him how to skate with special odd looking shoes. She wasn't convinced he'd know how to skate when the time came, but he was, and confidence was half the battle.

The day finally arrived and after dressing they joined the throng of people pouring into the castle for the opening of the festivities. They weren't prepared for how packed it was going to be, and their spot in the crowd did not have ideal viewing. Gideon, now a few inches taller than she was barefoot stood on tiptoe when the castle doors opened, and people began to cheer. She couldn't see anything, and she couldn't hear anything over the cheers and whistling everyone around her was doing, but all at once a hush fell over the crowd, and she heard a very familiar voice cry out "Welcome to the Summer Solstice celebration!"

She turned back to Rumple and smiled. "Elsa! Can you see her?"

He placed his hands gently on his hips and directed her a few inches to one side so that she could just barely see through the heads to the girl who seemed hardly to have changed in the last decade. If she'd grayed she couldn't tell, her hair was just as white blonde as it always had been, her eyes just as wide and sparkling. She was dressed in a delightful green gown with a long cape that fell to the ground. Both had matching lilac flowers embroidered into them, with many for those same flowers decorating her hair.

Suddenly she reached out behind her, holding it out as if for someone to take and she held her breath waiting to see Anna but instead a man came forward wearing matching green though looking almost incredibly uncomfortable. His hair was nearly as white blonde as Elsa's, and he carried in his hand an old hooked staff of some kind. It must have been her husband, King Jack, they called him, which meant Prince Olaf must have been around somewhere close by. It was only when she and Jack descended into the crowd that she realized Elsa had been talking and greeting people the entire time she'd been distracted. Now she watched as Elsa hiked up her dress and stomped on the ground. The crowd emit sounds of "Ooh" and "Aw" as she stomped again and Rumple muttered "careful" behind her back and signaled Gideon to look down at his feet. Ice. The ground was covered in ice. A moment later she watched as King Jack took in a deep breath and blew an impossibly larger breath into the sky. His breath was the color of white and only moments later-

"Snow! Mama! Snow, in summer!" Gideon exclaimed catching the flakes. That it seemed was the end of the introduction. The castle grounds were open for skating, snowmen building, ice slides, and so much more but inside the banquet hall was dancing, food, and-

"Anna," she breathed, her eyes stopping inside on one woman who looked more familiar than the others. She had changed over the years, her hair was grayer but without the streaks that she had on her own. She had thickened a little around the middle from the three children she'd learned in the village that she'd given birth to in the last decade, but her smile was the same, her eyes, even her mannerisms! She watched her interacting with an elderly woman, watched her smile and talk her ear off until a man with tan hair and a beard came over to place a hand on her shoulder and led her away. Green like her sister's, her dress was beautiful, short and decorated with Sunflowers to match the one she wore in her hair. She watched in awe as the man with tan hair twirled her around the dance floor a few times, making silly wild gestures that made her smile and laugh until a girl a few years younger than Gideon ran over to her and put her arms around her waist in a hug that she herself received frequently. Anna hugged back. And from that point on she couldn't remember giving her legs permission, couldn't remember the rush of courage she'd been waiting for arriving, couldn't remember deciding to do what she did. She only remembered moving forward until Anna was so close that she could touch her arm and breath "Anna" once more.

She looked up at her immediately, and her eyes watered as Anna searched her face for familiarity. She knew the exact moment it hit her, the very precise moment when Anna's mind realized who she was and her gaze went from curious to shock and her mouth from smiling to gaping.

"Belle…" she whispered back with wide eyes moving her daughter aside to stare at her. "You're here…Belle!" a moment later she felt the weight of her fall around her shoulders and was only slightly aware that the girl had launched herself at her so that she was hugging her. She was so startled that she didn't know what to do and stared awkwardly at her arms over Anna's shoulder for a moment in disbelief. Their reunion couldn't go this simply, could it?

"Oh, here, let me help you with that…" the man in the beard finally whispered awkwardly before taking her hands in his own and arranging them around his wife, so she was hugging her back. "Warm hugs are kind of a thing around here."

It seemed impossible it would go that smoothly and it was. The moment they broke apart she was aware that both of them were crying and blubbering but only a second later the look on Anna's face was panic and terror as she looked over her shoulder. "Oh my…it's him, it's-"

Rumpelstiltskin.

"No, Anna! It's fine, it's all fine!" she assured her before she started to raise the alarm. The last thing the Enchanted Forest needed was to know the Dark One was back. "He's…he's my husband."

"Your husband?!" she gasped. "You married-"

"I did," she answered quickly to avoid making her say the name. She felt her stomach turn over and over. This wasn't going to be like her father was it? Was Anna to scorn her for her marriage the same way he had?

She prepared herself for the worst as the shock fled from Anna's face and she reached out to grasp her hand in an iron grip. "And you knew what you were doing?" she questioned fervently.

She managed a small chuckle. "I did…it's a bit of a long story actually. It seems you might have one too?" she commented looking at the family that was quickly gathering behind her. It was a story she wanted to hear, a story she'd waited to hear for years! But only if they could get past what had happened. "If you are willing to listen for…for just a few minutes I can explain. I can explain everything, I promise."

Anna looked her over with a look of fear and desperation, her gaze darting at one point to the man she had standing behind her. Finally, she nodded. "Okay…I trust you."

Trust was something she was sure she had not earned from Anna after their last encounter, but nevertheless, she had it. And with that trust, she and Anna talked, first for a few minutes, then for hours, about everything that had happened now, about their husbands, and everything that had happened then. They talked until all was forgiven and Gideon was the last one on the ice and their guests had nearly all gone, and she was re-introduced to Elsa and met Jack and little Olaf, who was only about three and asleep in his father's arms.

Suddenly it was Camelot and DunBroch all over again. They were not permitted to leave, and their things were moved for them from the inn, into bedrooms in the royal palace so they could stay for however long they wanted.

"Gideon is going to be spoiled," Rumple commented as they were taken to rooms in the palace and began to unpack with the knowledge that their horses were being boarded with the other royal stallions and their wagon stored.

She only shook her head and smiled as she watched him place linen shirts in a dresser. "Gideon grew up with indoor plumbing; he's already spoiled," she commented. Then with happiness and thankfulness, she put her arms around him to stop him from his task and squeezed as tight as she could. "Thank you for bringing me here," she whispered into the front of his shirt.

He held her tight and kissed the top of her head. "You are most welcome, Mrs. Gold."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters you are going to read, in theory, should be remarkably familiar in a way. I don't want to give too much away but you kinda already know everything that is going to happen in the next three chapters. You just don't know how it's all going to come together. That being said, it was always my intention in some way to send Belle back to Anna and finally get to say the things she wanted to say. I always wanted Rumple to instigate that because I felt that after all these years his guilt of depriving her of that moment with Anna would be too much. When the picture of the family outside Oaken's turned up in season 7 I was excited to get to send them there again and know that a moment like this wasn't too far outside of canon.
> 
> Thank you Taisch for your comments on the last chapter. I do hope that this one is too your liking and that what follows will also be satisfactory for you. In the next few chapters, we will have left the Stroybrooke School Years Section behind and move into the fourth of the five which means be really are more than halfway, not only in the chapters, but in the story as well. Peace and Happy Reading!


	25. A Sacrifice for a Wish

With no other plans the castle in Arendelle quickly became their summer home. Gideon spent his days playing with Anna and Elsa's children and she spent time with Anna, reaffirming her belief that if they'd been given time they would have been great friends. And all the while she and Rumple spent their time planning day trips, taking Gideon to see the various sights Arendelle had to offer, sometimes with the royal family sometimes without. They spent days away from the castle but always came back and told them of their adventures. A month before they were due back in Storybrooke Anna came up with another location for them to visit over breakfast.

"You'd love it! It's a magnificent well and the waters are said to make you look younger but I think that's all talk! It's probably only a mind trick! I've never lost any grays at least. But you should definitely go see it, gardens have sprung up around there and it's absolutely beautiful! They call it-"

"The Spring of Eternal Life!" they stated at the same time.

"Yes!" Anna beamed. "You've heard of it already!"

She nodded. In a book she'd read as a child she'd heard of the spring and the river that supposedly fed the spring, but had never actually known it was here in Arendelle. She always dreamed it would be in some long lost Empire, not across the sea from her former summer home in Avonlea!

"Yes."

"Yes…so have I," Rumple commented almost dazed. She was nearly dazed too. Though he'd been pleasurable since they arrived here, he was usually quiet at breakfast time. "That's here?" he questioned with more curiosity than he'd shown in the last three weeks.

"We've done our best to keep it quiet, especially now that we're in your world again. It's about a two day journey from the castle, not far," Elsa commented from the other side of the dining room. Olaf had been having a bit of a fit and she'd finally seemed to get him to calm down and to sleep. The toddler was asleep, dead weight in her arms but that didn't stop her from continuing to pace, or rub his back, or bob up and down in a soothing rhythm. She glanced at Gideon and straightened his hair. She missed those days. "You should see it while you are here, and the view of the river is stunning. They call it-"

"The Guardian of Wishes."

This time it had been Rumple's turn to duplicate the words and she stared in shock at the two people before her. Rumple and Elsa and Jack…they were the quiet ones. Most of the conversation since they'd been here had been her and Anna and Kristoff and of course the children. But to see these two suddenly engaged in the conversation made the room tingle.

"You've heard of that, too. I can send some guides along with you, make sure you arrive safely," the Queen offered as she set her calmed son into her husband's arms.

"Mother can we?!" Gideon begged looking over at her.

She nodded immediately, unable to think of a reason they couldn't do such a thing. "Of course, but we can take ourselves, it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"No…a guide might be useful Belle." She looked over at Rumple and felt her brows furrow in confusion. They hadn't needed a guide for any of their trips thus far. In fact, every time the royal family had volunteered to provide them with one, they'd refused. Why on earth was he insisting on one now?

But before she could ask Elsa confirmed: "then a guide you shall have."

Preparations were made and they left only a day later with a promise to Anna that they would return soon. Their guide was a kindly old man, who brought his own horse and his own pack and was content to lead them into the mountains with their horses and wagon loaded for camping again. He was impressed by their camping gear, tents they'd brought from the city of New Storybrooke were something the guard had never seen, and if memory served and Arendelle was one of the Kingdoms Regina was having a difficult time getting to accept electricity, might not ever see in his life again. He marveled at the way they repelled water. She had a feeling that they would be leaving him with one of them before they went back home but what she didn't have a feeling for was her husband and why this trip felt different than the others. She tried to put her finger on it, to identify the strange behaviors and the feelings she had but she couldn't. And when she tried to talk to him about it, all he replied with was a reassurance that all would be clear soon enough. It was confirmation at least that something was going on, but what it was exactly was unclear. He wouldn't even give her hints!

Finally, after two nights of sleeping in tents and foraging, they made it to the place where their guide stopped them. "The bridge across is just through those trees," he pointed.

She drew her shawl closer around her arms and looked at the sky. "Should we set up camp and wait until morning?" she questioned. The sun was beginning its descent, and it would be night in barely an hour.

"Oh no, Ma'am," he argued. "This is the best time to go, sunrise and set are the best views of all, and when you get back, the camp will be ready for you."

"You're not going to come with us?" she questioned.

He shook his head. "I'll stay to set up camp. The path is clear from here."

"Let's go," Rumple insisted quickly at those words. She stared at him in utter shock as he got off the wagon almost as quickly as Gideon did. She hadn't seen him this excited since…well…as long as she'd known him!

"What's going on?"

"We're seeing a well," he offered her as he raised his arms to help her down from the wagon seat. Riddles. When he spoke in riddles he was unlikely to tell her exactly what he was thinking, so she fell into his arms and let him help her to the ground. He was antsy as she dug through their things for the camera and placed it around her neck as their guide dug through their tents and bags in the back.

"Are you sure you don't need us to help pitch the tents?" she clarified.

Once more he shook his head. "You all go on ahead," he assured her. "I can manage here just as you can manage the road ahead."

"Belle, please, let's go!" Rumple insisted as Gideon bounced up and down behind him. She sighed as she took his hand and they began their hike forward, her only thoughts were that she hoped all of this would become clear by the time they got back.

Gideon was excited and unable to let them have peace as they made their way up the path. His ramblings were filled with stories and facts he had heard from the palace about this place and directions the guide had given them. "Through the trees" he'd said. It was truly more like through the trees and up the hill, but even with her suspicions that something was going on it was impossible not to smile as she took in the quiet and serenity of the woods which was confronted with her son's utter excitement. He was happy. Rumple was eager. And confused as she was, she was having a good time with her family just as they always did. Until Gideon stopped her and went suddenly quiet with wide eyes.

"Do you hear that, Mother?! It's rushing water. We found the river! The bridge is just on the other side! Race you!" Gideon was off before she even had time to prepare herself, but she bolted after him playfully a few steps before she had to fall behind. She wasn't as young as she once was, perhaps a drink from the Spring of Eternal Life would do her some good. But it wasn't just the well they were here to see. The entire country was beautiful and it was easy to forget that they were still in this world, in Storybrooke. But if Gideon kept running like that he'd miss it.

"Gideon! Gideon, wait! Wait!" she called as they the trees finally broke to reveal a river and a bridge over it, which Gideon promptly threw himself at and ran across without stopping to consider what he was missing. She shook her head at him. When had he gotten so old that she couldn't catch him?

"He's just excited," Rumple excused as Gideon made his way across and she laughed.

"And so am I," she confirmed as the pair of them made their way up and over as Gideon had, though at a significantly reduced speed. Gideon was excited to see the well but she was already taken with the beauty of everything around her, the setting sun, the river, the stone bridge, it was perfect. She turned to face her husband as they reached its peak. Gideon may have run ahead but he was still there to enjoy it with her. And she wasn't about to let the significance of this place be lost on him the way it might have been on Gideon.

"Did you know that some books say this bridge is older than time itself?" she commented reaching out to rub his arm. "Thousands of years people have made sacrifices here. Throwing their wishes in this very river. Can you imagine that kind of ancientness?"

She could, and she couldn't imagine it all at the same time. She could picture snap shots. Lovers coming here with a wish to be together, knights dropping their swords in the river asking for peace, boys throwing their last penny into the river hoping for wealth, women leaving their tears behind, hoping to get back loved ones. She could imagine it, but the knowledge that those snapshots were only fractions of just what had taken place here was overwhelming. How many people had stood where they once had? Different scenarios, different emotions…it was breathtaking.

"I don't have to. It's not the only one to see the generations come and go," he stating giving a small playful pull on that streak of white hair by her left eye. She didn't mind it so much but not for the first time she found herself wondering if he did. And fearing what that meant for her beloved husband.

"Oh, Rumple-"

"Belle." He grabbed her, put his hands against her arms before she had the opportunity to fling her arms around his neck to comfort him. All she could really do was hold on tight to him as he was to her. "I've been alive for many, many years, and of all those years the last ten have been the happiest I can ever imagine."

She forced a smile. That was a wonderful declaration, one that would have brought tears to her eyes if she hadn't been considering what he'd said before. What would come of him as she grew older?

"Well…we're only just beginning," she settled for whispering instead. They both had to think happily and positively, not focus on the inevitable end to their happiness.

"I know," he muttered. "But there is only one way I want to live this life from now on…as a mortal."

Her heart was racing, and she knew her hands were pressed too tight against his arms. Was it possible to feel confusion and excitement all at once?

"What are you saying?" she questioned. It wasn't possible; he hadn't found a way to safely rid himself of the curse, had he?

"I have a confession. This isn't just another stop in our uh…adventure," he shrugged letting go of her so he could pull the dagger free. "This dagger has been a burden to me for too long. I've been a slave to its power and now all I can hope is this river can grant me my one and only wish…to live a singular, natural life, with you." His hand rested on her arm and it held her steady as she feared she might sway from what he'd just said. All these years, all the quiet and the time they'd spend together…he'd finally said the words she didn't know she'd been longing to hear. To get rid of the dagger, to shed himself of his curse and grow old together, that would be a beautiful thing! To not have to worry about what would happen to him after she was gone because he'd age with her…she'd never known how sweet death might be until this moment. Suddenly it was far more beautiful, far more relaxing than the sight around her. This was why he'd been acting strange. This is what he'd hoped this place would do for him.

And before she could say anything, before she could question or smile or find the words to articulate what she was feeling she watched as he held his dagger out over the edge of the bridge and let it fall into the river. She knew how heavy that dagger was, and yet to her it seemed to fall slowly as if it were weightless. She held her breath as she watched it fall and finally plop into the river her mind thinking a million different things. Would it work? How would they know? Was this what that book had been about? What would they tell Gideon? Would he feel different?

"Rumple that was beautiful!" she cried turning to embrace him with tears in her eyes. He would have hugged her back. In fact, she had the sense that he was reaching to pick her up and swing her side to side with joy when suddenly she felt tension flood his shoulders and back.

"No," he breathed. She watched as he reached down toward his boot and his face twisted into horror or as he pulled the dagger free from where it had magically reappeared. His name was still written across it. It hadn't worked.

"Hey!"

"No!"

"Hey!" she urged trying to calm him as she swallowed the meaning herself. It hadn't worked. After all these years he'd finally been ready, put his faith and trust in something and it had failed him. She could see the sadness in his eyes and weight that she'd never noticed before. How long had this been a burden to him that he'd kept secret from her?

"We can't be discouraged now, okay," she urged, shaking him and forcing him to look at her and not at the dagger he held once more in his hand. These past few years had been a dream come true and they were so different than they had once been! It was a burden and they would carry it just like they had all their other burdens through these last ten years. Together. With a plan and actions that followed. If this was truly what he wanted, what they both wanted, then they would figure out a way to make it work. Ten years with him had taught her anything was possible. Even freeing the Dark One from his curse. "We will find a way to do it," she assured him.

"And you would go on that journey with me?" he questioned sadly, pulling her into his arms. How could he ask such a question? How could he doubt her now?

"There's nothing I'd rather do," she whispered back with a smile. How could she not want to do this with him? How could she not support him after all he'd done for her? "All I want is a life with you, Rumple." No matter how old and gray they both got, how weak for frail their bodies became, she wanted all of it by his side. And to know he wanted it too was satisfying in a way she hadn't expected. As if on cue he nodded and allowed her to draw his head to her own so she could hold him and finally kiss him atop that ancient bridge.

A sacrifice in exchange for a wish. This was hers. Her wish was his own. That he would live one life with her, that they would grow old together and watch their son grow up…and if the sacrifice she had to make to see that happen was a journey then so be it. With him at her side it was no sacrifice at all. They already had ten years behind them, what was another fifty?

"Mother, father!" They both looked over her shoulder to see Gideon on the other side of the bridge his chest heaving from lack of breath. "Come on! You're going to miss the well!" he shouted at them before running off again.

She turned back to the man before her and took the dagger from him, placing it back in its boot where it always was before she wound her arms around his neck once more.

"We'll tell him soon!" she promised.

"Soon," he echoed as she put her hand through the crook of his elbow and they continued on their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! We finally made it back into some of the 7x04 scenes. Seems like it's been a while right. Not too much to say about this since the scene is pretty straight forward. I hope you enjoy it and I hope that you like how I introduced this scene. It kind of continues into the next chapter.
> 
> Many thanks to Taisch and Goldenspinner1953 for the reviews that you left for me! I'm glad that we're all happy with the reunion of Anna and Belle! It was one of those happy things that I was excited to write for you all. Peace and Happy Reading!


	26. A Daring Change of Plan

He promised her that he wasn't upset by what happened. Disappointed, certainly, but not upset. They saw the well, took family photos in which he smiled in each one, and returned to the Arendelle castle with Anna and Else. She and she alone could see that the smile he wore was not a genuine one. He was far more than the disappointed that he'd claimed to be, but she didn't want to spoil Gideon's time by goading him any more than he wanted to be at the moment.

He told her everything in the days that followed, just as he always promised he would. He whispered the truth to her each night as they lay in bed before sleep claimed them. The book that he'd taken from his castle years ago was about this very situation. It was a tale from a different land, another realm entirely, where the story of the Dark One was a well told story. There, he was no more than a boogie man, used to scare children, but this single author had told a different tale of the Dark One, a tale of a guide that would lead the Dark One to the proper Guardian that might take the powers of the Dark One and leave him a man again with the proper wish. That was why he'd wanted the guide in Arendelle, when he heard the offer and of the river he thought perhaps the story had come true. That their guide would be the guide in the tale and the waters in the river the guardian.

He told her that it didn't matter, that he wanted to enjoy their adventure and their time with Gideon before school started again, but she could tell it had bothered him every day since they'd left that spot and would probably continue to bother him beyond. He'd gotten his hopes up, wanted desperately to become a man and shed his curse, now it weighed heavy as the dagger on his shoulders and she felt it on her shoulders as well.

She had to do something about it, but to discuss it around Gideon so early in all of this seemed impossible. So late one night, as her men slept and she stayed wide awake she concocted a plan to do just that. The following morning she asked Anna if she wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Gideon for a couple of days while they made the journey across the sea. Of course, she didn't. And she would do her one better. A royal vessel was about to depart for the very place she wanted to go, she'd send a letter that they were to be permitted to use the ships quarters and travel with them. They'd only be docked for a night before they had to return, Anna warned but she only smiled. A night was all they needed.

With Rumple obviously and utterly confused, they bid Gideon farewell and to behave until they were back, then boarded the ship that morning. Unlike the last time she'd made this voyage, hiding out in the bowels of the ship with a dozen other travelers who were all strangers to her, this time around they were given actual quarters. It was no more than a room with a bed that was nearly too small for them, a table on which food was brought to them, and a large window with bench seating that allowed them to look out the ocean through their long journey. Since their quarters were at the back of the ship they watched through the day, staying hidden and out of the way of the crew, as Arendelle and Gideon faded into the distance. She hadn't told him what this was all about, just informed him that Gideon was well taken care of, and that he would see in the morning when they made landfall.

Sleep was a gracious term for what they did that night, crammed into the space as they were he held her as they were forced onto their sides, swaying with the rocking of the ship. She couldn't deny that when the call for "Land-ho" came she was tired enough that it was tempting to burrow back against him and go back to sleep, but her curiosity got the better of her and slid free from his grasp, unsurprised that he was awake already, and reached for her cloak, a very special one she'd asked Anna for.

"You are aware it's still summer and not raining?" he questioned as he watched her clasp it under her chin and pull the generous hood up over her head. She was aware, but if she wanted to be safe she was also aware that the cloak was necessary for more than cold and rain.

"It might come in handy," she muttered instead. Her vision was restricted through the hood, it was like wearing blinders and then a wide brimmed hat when she kept her eyes down. But they made their way up to the deck, to the railing that would reveal land ahead of them and she worked up her courage finally to look at what awaited her. It wasn't what she expected.

She nearly lost her breath as she stared at the coast, at how different it was from the last time she'd seen it and yet how similar it was to the way she remembered it. She nearly cried at the sight.

"Belle?" Rumple was at her side, a hand at her back as her chest began to heave with effort to contain her joy.

"It's still there!" she exclaimed. "The castle it's…it's still there! Our summer home!"

She couldn't see his face, but she could feel the hand at her back twitch and a pause as he began to put it together. "This is…"

"Avonlea!" she exclaimed, unable to hold it in. "The day you came to get me it had fallen, I expected the castle would be a pile of rubble! But it looks whole! How-how is that possible?" she breathed. The last time she'd seen this place it had been a war zone, just before what she'd always assumed was the destruction of all she'd held dear. The sky had been red, the smell of burnt wood and ashes, the stench of death and loss had filled the air. She'd nearly wept for all that had been lost there but standing here now, looking out over it, her childhood home seemed returned to it's former glory. A bright blue sky, crisp clean air…the castle just on the mountain overlooking all of it just as it always had been. The white marble was gray, it didn't glitter the way it once had, but it did seem untouched by the disaster that had befallen Avonlea.

"Aye, it is!" She glanced over to see a brutish man staring at the two of them with a rope in his hand. His skin was stained with black which ran down his body in streaks because of the sweat and she smelled like alcohol but seemed sober enough as he watched her. Quickly she turned away and tugged on her hood, checking for it's security. "You remember the Ogre Wars then...you seem a bit young for them."

"I was a girl," she muttered, eying that damning gray streak brushing against her cheek. "How is the castle still there?" she questioned. "Wasn't this place taken in the war."

"Aye, for a heartbeat only. Avonlea was breached the day before the Princess made her sacrifice, but the beasts never penetrated the gates of the castle before they were pushed back and vanished the next day. Back over the mountains we heard, courtesy of the Dark One's deal with the future monarch.

"King never returned of course. They said there was too many memories of his wife and daughter and after the curse broke and past royalty chose to stay away, the new monarchy chose to leave it there without occupancy as a reminder of the past. The Princess was a beacon of hope for a lot of the people and the transition wouldn't have been as smooth if they claimed it. No one's been in there since then, everyone is too scared to defile the thing." From someone in the distance a name was called and the man stopped talking to them long enough to shout something back that made it clear he had to go. "Personally it gives me the creeps," he added as he walked away. "It's like a time capsule that'll never be opened."

Who better to open it but her? When the ship docked she made sure that her hood was once more secure but then moved up the hill with all the energy Gideon had when they'd gone to see the Spring of Eternal Life. Rumple trailed quietly after her, not asking questions or even begging her to slow down as she was drawn to that castle, to a desperation to see it after so long. It was remarkable to believe everything was gone and see it still standing perfectly. And yet…

Things were different. When she finally reached the dirt path that carriages had taken to bring her family into their home she noticed the walls of the palace were different. Flowers were laid out, lots of old, in varying stages of decay, but there were some that were fresh. And on the wall above it, in what appeared to be black paint, someone had drawn a very flattering picture of her that made her jaw drop. It was a memorial. Dedicated to her! To what she'd done, if the notes attached to the flowers were any indication.

_"Thank you Princess for saving us from those beasts."_

_"May you find joy in your new life!"_

_"My children are alive today because of what you did."_

_"I pray you'll find the happily ever after you seek in your new land."_

It was just as it had been after her mother died! They'd laid out flowers for her then too, with little notes of gratitude and love and even anger.

"You are a hero," her husband commented behind her.

It was the oddest thing. Everything inside of her rebelled at such a comment. Her mother was dead, her father alone for the rest of his life, which was partially his own doing but still…

She stood here today, husband by her side, son perfectly happy. She had a degree in literature and owned a town for goodness sake! She could remember a time when her sacrifice seemed like a sacrifice. From here it didn't look like that at all. From here it was the best decision she'd ever made in her life.

She quietly put the roses and notes back where she'd found them and left the portrait of her behind as she moved along the wall until she came upon the gates. Then pressed her face to them as she gazed inside and suddenly understood why the man on the ship had said it was "creepy". It was. Every time she'd been to this place the gates had been open, a guard had been in the little shelter beside them keeping watch, maids and servants had scurried across the grounds, dogs barked, children laughed, life had hummed and pored out of every crevice of this building. To see the windows boarded, the grounds still, and the gates locked, wrapped with a steel chain and padlock did give it the feel of a ghost house. But not even that would stop her.

"Can you get us in?" she questioned of Rumpelstiltskin, finally tearing her eyes from the palace to look behind at him. He made no noises or motions that answered her question, but suddenly she heard a click come from the gate and when she turned back the padlock was open, swinging freely. She clawed at it, desperately unwrapping the thick chain until she could finally open the gate enough to permit them. The gate squeaked. She'd never known it made that sound when it was opened or closed.

They were both quiet as they moved through the grounds, almost as if they were walking through a graveyard and it might disturb the dead, or at the very least the memories that seemed to rise up in the overgrown foliage around her. The door to the castle was locked just as the gate had been, but it was no match for Rumpelstiltskin and once they were inside the great foyer she was surprised by just how many ghosts she saw. The tables, the couches, the furniture was all covered with dusty white sheets to keep the amble dust at bay. And it seemed to have worked. Behind her she heard a great whoosh as Rumple pulled one sheet free to reveal a set of silver candelabras and a chest that she remembered always held a golden Fabergé egg. He used his magic to light the candles and she lifted the lid of the box to see that same egg she'd always known sitting right where it belonged. She closed the lid in shock and excepted one of the candelabras.

"It's incomprehensible how this is all still here! It's unbelievable that it hasn't been looted or destroyed in the curse!"

"I promised your Kingdom would be protected and it was, even from the wrath of the curse, though the people were not. As to the lack of looting, it's amazing what people will leave untouched when they believe it is haunted or hallowed."

She really only half heard him as she led him through the walls she had once walked, each hall coming back to her with every step. Everything was covered in white sheets and stored and packed away by servants but it all still resided there, as if waiting for her family to one day return and bring it to life. The silver in the dining hall was still there. The books in their library nearly brought her to tears, each one still stacked in it's proper place. Her father's office sat unused and dusty, the smell of papers and maps still permeating the air. And her family's quarters were just as they'd always been. Her mother's room still smelled like her, and she plucked a few items to keep from a hidden jewelry box she kept in a drawer. And then there was her room.

"Oh!" she exclaimed just before Rumple could push the door open, she moved quickly between him and it, remembering something she'd long since forgotten and feeling embarrassment creep up into her cheeks. "Just…understand that I was very young when this room was first prepared for me."

He stared back at her with blank, confused eyes. "How bad can it be?" he questioned, moving around her to get inside. The man on the boat was right. It was just like stepping inside a time capsule, though sheets covered all her furniture her instinct was to pull them off one by one and it did leave her husband looking around in a state of shock. "This is…a lot more pink than I expected."

For the first time since they'd set foot in this place she felt herself giggle and sat down on the bed, it's sheets and blankets were removed making it no more than a mattress but the rest of the room was outfitted with the color. White and pink, from her vanity to her chifforobe, her fireplace, and even the curtains by the window…all of it was pink and white.

"I was young when they asked me what colors I'd like and they made it for me. I grew out of it eventually but since I was here so infrequently it just sort of stayed this way. This room stood still long before the rest of this house did," she observed looking around. Her eyes fell on the little three shelf, pink and white, bookshelf that she'd used to house all her favorite works. Every last one of them was still there. She needed to find a bag of some kind. She imagined that this castle wouldn't stay untouched forever, eventually people who were desperate would sneak in as she did and pillage it, but she did want to take some things before that happened. Other things…she'd have to hold in her memory.

With a smile, and no fear for being seen, she rose from the bed and moved around her husband toward the shuttered window. She threw it open to reveal not the village, but rather her favorite part of this castle, her view of the ocean. Though she'd just spent time upon it to get here she inhaled deeply, the scent from her old room somehow different and far different than it was from down there. She felt Rumpelstiltskin's arms come around her and she held his hands at her hips, and she stared out at the sunset which hadn't changed at all over the decades as they swayed gently.

"I always loved this castle, the fun we had here, the smell of the sea every morning I woke up…it was a magical place."

But being in this room as an adult, completely alone, with her husband wrapped around her was giving her some ideas that she'd never had when she'd visited here. She blushed as she first thought about it and tried to shove thoughts like that away but when she felt his chest ease through a contented sigh and his cheek press to her own as he watched the sunset with her, those thoughts came far easier. They were nearly as wicked as when they'd explored the castle, and the memory of that encounter did not help that feeling to go away.

She turned in his arms with a feeling of resolution and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. They simply stared at one another for a long time, silently saying all the things they no longer needed words for before she stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Then kissed him again. And again, bringing him closer to her so that she didn't have to stay on her toes. She didn't know how many they'd shared before he pulled away breathless and asked "are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"Maybe," she laughed kissing his neck.

"Here?! You?!"

That alone was a very good argument to step away from him, but unfortunately it was also presented a very good argument, at least in her mind, to step closer.

"With the exception of a few minor incidents, I think you'll find that I was a perfect child, I have to make up for my lack of rebellion in some way. And my father would have a heart attack if he ever found out."

Rumple was silent for a moment as she continued to peck at flashes of skin, but after a moment she felt his head nod. "That's good enough reason for me," he muttered before gathering her up in his arms and kissing her again.

Freedom. It was what made things good between them, the reason, she believed, that they had such a successful marriage after so many years. There was no fear around one another, a true freedom to be who they truly were, whether that meant they were playful, well mannered, or afraid. Whether it was easy or difficult, they were free in each other. But as they lay on her bed minutes later, their chests heaving while she adjusted her skirts for comfort, she was suddenly aware that only one of them had true freedom. She could remember, so many years ago, how she'd longed for freedom from her father's castle, desired it above anything else. He'd given that freedom to her and yet...there had to be something she could do to give him his own freedom. Now that she knew it was what he truly wanted. There had to be something they could do.

"Did I hurt you?" he questioned suddenly, breaking the silence.

Her smile only grew. "In the best way possible."

"Is this why you didn't want Gideon here? Because you planned this?"

That thought made her laugh. "I didn't plan this exactly," she denied. She'd planned to come here but what happened to have led them to both being sprawled on the bed had been spontaneous. If she'd have known it was going to happen it only would have been one more reason not to bring their son. "No, I…I didn't want Gideon here because I didn't know what I'd find. You know as well as I do that a returning former claim to the throne can threaten even the gentlest and securest of rulers, even with Regina as the one who is officially in charge. I just didn't want to take any chances Gideon would be caught up in all of it if I was caught."

"Thus the cloak you've been hiding under."

She nodded. "And besides, I didn't want him to think that I was coming back to claim my throne or drag him into this life. I brought us here because we needed some time alone and being so close I couldn't resist the urge to see what it has all become but…I don't want this life for me or my son or our family. Not anymore and I don't think I ever did. What I want I have. You and Gideon, our happiness. That is what I want." She squeezed his hand and let herself drift on a cloud of contentedness in silence. This was all too perfect to want anything else.

But only a minute later she felt a shift in the mattress as Rumpelstiltskin pushed himself up on an elbow and moved his hand over her belly and then to her waist, his eyes thoughtful and pensive as he touched her, then sad as she covered his hand with her own.

"Belle…I want to grow old with you," he whispered. "I always knew that true love was a possibility, but I always gawked at the idea of 'soulmates'. And yet you are mine, my other half, my perfect match. Nothing is going to ever compare to this life that we have now, and I don't want to live on once you are gone. If soul mates exist then I can believe there is something beyond this world, another adventure awaiting us, and I want to experience that with you."

He could be very charming and eloquent when he wanted to be and what he'd just confessed brought tears to her eyes. Once was a chance and twice was a curiosity, but the fact that he'd brought this up now on three separate occasions meant that it was more than that. This was something he'd truly been thinking about and working on, something he really wanted! And if he wanted it then so did she but it didn't come without it's complications.

"Then we need to start working on a plan," she muttered reaching up to cup his cheek. "Some way to free you from this." There was a pause as she stared up at him, aware of just how close his mouth was to her own. "True love's kiss worked once before."

"And I doomed it when I stopped it from working," he admitted before leaning closer to kiss her just because he could. "It was like a vaccination, Belle. Every time you've kissed me since then the curse has burrowed further into me, latching on. It'll never work again, darling."

But something else might!

"There must be another way. That book you found, it was from another realm…"

He nodded. "I heard a rumor of someone who had it around the time you were at the castle and acquired it. The family was from another realm, similar to the Victorian Era in England."

It was clear that he saw no significance to this but to her it was hope. It was a bread crumb. But what it also meant…it would be a very big decision for their family.

"We've told Henry before that we are stories in other realms, just as they are to us. I believe an answer exists for you, but it might not be in Storybrooke, old or new. And a job like this…it might not be possible to do it during Gideon's breaks."

Rumpelstiltskin let out a small snort as he stared down at her, clearly thinking that she was joking. "Are you suggesting we leave Storybrooke? This world? Live out on a lamb?" She kept her face as serious as she could and after a moment his smile vanished and she knew that he'd seen no humor in what she was suggesting.

"Something like that. Do you want to live in Storybrooke? Do you feel like we're home there? Here?!" she pressed.

"I've lived too long to make attachments to places. You and Gideon are my home and I will follow where you lead, but I'm a bit surprised that you would make such a suggestion," he admitted.

The truth was that she was too, before they'd made this trip she'd always seen her life as in Storybrooke but she had to admit that she had considered other options, especially since Regina had insisted Rapunzel go by a different name in public. This thought felt new, but it was quite clear to her that it was anything but new.

"I think…I think I've been thinking about it for quite sometime now. I do love Storybrooke and a few years ago I would never have considered leaving but Storybrooke is changing now. It truly is becoming part of that world no matter how many castles it possesses or how big it gets and Regina is right, the people who are left there will have to adapt to that. They'll become ordinary but you and Gideon…you both have magic, you are extraordinary, and I don't want you to have to hide it. If we leave we won't have to, not until we are ready at least.

"You said yourself there are dozens of realms, one of them might have the answer to your freedom. We could take Gideon with us, search for it, and find it. I could tutor Gideon and you can continue to teach him to control his magic, we could stay anywhere as long as we like and move when we need to. All those stories in Storybrooke may not be true but they all have a grain of truth to them, of those stories will have the answers we're looking for and free you just as this did. We could make this work."

"I fail to see how this tale was true and freed me."

She beamed, it seemed completely obvious to her but this was the sort of thing she'd spent three years studying. "Well we did use a guide to get there and you did make a wish, a wish that will now come true because I will fight for it just as I fight for you. Stories are all about interpretation."

He nodded, but still didn't seem at rest with the decision. "What about Gideon? What about all the friends he's made in Storybrooke? How will he handle something like this."

That was something of a hiccup, she supposed, but it didn't seem as big as one to her as it did to him. "Gideon will be fine. I'm not saying it won't be hard on him, but he makes new friends everywhere he goes. And he loves you Rumple, he knows the burden you carry, I do think he'll understand in the end.

"And I think we have to ask ourselves in this situation what we want to teach him Rumple. To stay in Storybrooke for him would be a fine thing but I think sometimes we have to place ourselves over him. That idea is counter to everything I've ever experienced as a mother but in my heart I know that it's true. Gideon is getting older. One day he will be gone. Our son will meet a woman he loves and have children and a family with her. He will leave me, us. But you will always be my husband and I your wife. We will be together long after he leaves our nest. I'd like for him to learn from us that sometimes children need to make sacrifices for the sake of their parent's relationship. Do you agree?"

What started off as a frown soon morphed into a smirk as he hung his head and nodded. "I do. What about your father? And Rapunzel? Pascal?"

Those thoughts made her stomach twist far more than the thought of uprooting Gideon. Her father was an easy answer, he'd made it so with his silence over the years but Rapunzel…when she'd made the suggestion she hadn't realized what it would mean for that relationship. It meant saying good-bye. Still, better she say good-bye to her friend, than he say good-bye to her.

"I haven't spoken to my father in years. Not in person. I'll write him and tell him but I don't honestly think it'll make a difference. And Rapunzel…it'll be hard, it will, saying good-bye to her. I love her and her family dearly but I love you more. We'll make sure everything is set before we go. And it's not as if we won't have magic beans, if we feel the urge to visit we can. If we succeed, we can come back!"

"Time moves differently in some other realms. Some faster, some slower. Are you prepared for that?" His voice made it a warning, something he was telling her because he feared the consequences of what it would do to her and Gideon. She understood his warning and it was a fair argument all on its own if taking Gideon to a place where time moved faster meant he was going to age faster.

"Will it feel different?" she questioned. "Will we know it's passing faster or slower?

"No, to us it'll feel as though normal years are passing."

Then that settled it in her mind. It was time to make this happen for him, for them. They had to make him free.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's start a new adventure!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. That easy. One conversation and Rumbelle has decided to leave Storybrooke. This was also why I've been putting in the little conversations of dissatisfaction between Belle and Storybrooke. This chapter alone would have made it such a sudden decision it would have been super out of character but I'm hoping with all the development we've had this isn't as shocking that in one conversation she could say "let's get out of here" and come up with a whole new plan for their family. Yeah, it's a little out of left field, but not as much as it would have been. And because Rumple finally told the truth after all of these years it should help her to see that this is something he's been looking into for a while and make it all easier.
> 
> Thank you dear Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. Predictable or not I was pleased to hear that you felt it belonged right where I put it and the transition into it was natural and good! Many thanks! We're on the next chapter, which, I would say, is a pretty sad chapter. Maybe get some tissues...and chocolate...and wine. Peace and Happy Reading.


	27. A New Year, A New Start

Their new adventure was not just something they could start, it was something that would take some time to arrange, but they were both eager and wanted it to take as little time as possible. By their estimate, if they were diligent, it would take themselves a few months together everything together. So they gave themselves one semester. When they arrived back in Storybrooke they had agreed to stay through the first semester of school for Gideon and go after the holidays for the sake of their friends. After all, they were both worried that if they didn't have an agreed upon time to go, they might not ever leave. Four months seemed like a lot of time, but in fact, she was aware of just how much had to take place before then. Downsizing was one of the first things that came to her mind. They could not take all of their belongings, or the house, or Neal's grave, no matter how painful it was to leave him behind. At best they would be able to take their usual cart, and they'd have to carefully pack, and choose what went into it and fit only the most precious of things inside of it. That was going to take time, and probably phases.

But while she was worried about what awaited, Rumple was worried about what they were leaving behind. Neal's grave was one thing, but leaving in four months did not give them time to sell the house, the furniture, the shop, the car…he'd owned the town ever since Hyde had died and figuring out what to do with it all was going to be tricky. But one night in October, just before Halloween, he came home from work and set something down for her on the kitchen table.

"I need you to sign this," he stated simply.

"Of course, what is it?" she questioned picking it up and reading through it. The document was pages long and filled with legalese. She was a smart woman, but she would need a dictionary to understand what it said completely. However, some things she recognized right away. It was designed similar to Last Will and Testaments that she'd come across and it seemed to detail everything "the city formally known as Storybrooke", "The business know as Mr. Gold's Pawnshop", "the homes located at…", "one vehicle a…". It was all their assets, everything they owned. One name stood out amidst the clutter of it all. "Raquel Rider".

"Rapunzel?" she questioned looking up at him. "You're giving it all to Rapunzel?"

"And her family. I have precious stones, jewels and gems, gold and silver…all of that I can take from the shop and serve as our wealth once we leave, those items carry their value realm to realm. But we can't exchange the money from this world anywhere else. Anything that we can't use, must be left here. And there are some stipulations. Money is to go into an account that will help to pay for our godson's eventual education, a certain amount has been set aside for a standing order to maintain Bae's grave, there is some in a bank account for Lucy and Henry as well, should they wish to use it. And the property can't be claimed for another five years."

"Five years?!" she blanched. "Why five years?"

"It's just a precaution," he excused. "I don't anticipate that we'll break this curse easily enough but just in case we do…or if we just give up, this gives us five years, five years to come back and claim it all should we wish."

That seemed fair though she did agree with him that it was unlikely they would ever return to use it. And it was a good plan, if anybody was ever to inherit something from them it should be Rapunzel and Henry. It was just so final, seeing their entire life written down on a few sheets of paper was surreal and final in a way that gave her the chills.

"We won't give up Rumple, I promise you that."

"Then these are the steps we have to take, Belle," Rumple whispered moving beside her. "We can't just pick up and leave these possessions behind with no instruction, that kind of poor planning turns into a nightmare for those who are left behind. And this was the best I could do. In a few years our friends will become very wealthy individuals, our godson and great-granddaughter will have all they need. What more could we ask?"

She nodded. She understood completely, she was just having a difficult time with just how real it was slowly all becoming. But it was the fact that he'd just referred to Rapunzel and her family as "their friends" and not "her friends" that really shook her free from it all. They were about to jump into an abyss, but if he was holding her hand while they did it, there was nothing to fear. People could change. This was evidence of it.

"Will she know?" she questions. "Does Rapunzel have to sign anything or…"

"No," he answered. "I submit a copy to the city and I'll give one to Regina personally after we've made the news public. They'll take it from there."

"You don't think Regina will try to hide it?" she questioned, an old holdover from Regina's former life, a question that she already knew the answer to was "no" but felt needed to be asked. Regina was the Queen, and this concerned the ownership of Storybrooke. Though she was a changed person she suspected this would be a temptation even for the most reformed of sinners.

"That's why I've already given a copy to an old colleague with a talent for intimidation along with clear instructions when we reach the five-year mark, he's being well paid for this services…" Rumple flipped a couple of pages into the document and pointed to a paragraph detailing money that should be moved into the account of an individual "known as 'Dove'" upon the completion of above requests.

And so, though nothing had actually been done yet, it all seemed settled. Without further question she grabbed a pen, left her initials in the places he indicated then signed her name at the bottom and stepped away from it, wrapping her arms around herself. She hadn't done anything wrong, but she imagined that this was what it would have felt like to sign a deal with Hades. But her husband was quick on his feet, he pulled her from the table and into his arms.

"We don't have to do it. We could tear it up right now and pretend-"

"We will do this Rumpelstiltskin," she insisted before he could finish. There was no point in reconsidering as reconsideration meant one day signing a Will in which her husband would inherit everything and go on living for hundreds of years without her until he was murdered. She wasn't about to let that happen. They were going to free him because she was certain that no matter how painful all of this was, the pain he would be left with if they weren't successful would be worse and she wouldn't live their life with that hanging over their heads. She would trade years of this for an eternity with him, no matter how difficult the journey.

"You know what we have to do next, don't you?" she questioned, finally moving away from him.

He nodded. Now they had to begin the process of telling people.

Their son came first. A week before Thanksgiving they sat him down and explained to their eleven-year-old what was happening. They talked about his father's curse, about their wish to free him from it, and that it would mean leaving Storybrooke. Their son at looked at them with fear in his eyes at first, thinking that they were leaving and not taking him with them.

"Of course, we're taking you Gideon!" she exclaimed moving off the coffee table she'd been sitting on and next to her son so she could put his arm around his back. "Gideon, your father and I could never leave you behind!"

"So if we're going, then that means Neal and all my friends…"

"They will be staying here, son," Rumple supplied for him.

All things considered she thought that Gideon took it better than she'd expected him to. No, he wasn't nearly as happy to go on this adventure as his summer adventures, and yes, he was very sad about leaving his friends behind. But Gideon genuinely cared for his father and once he understood what this adventure would be about he seemed to want to go on it and help them with Rumple. The idea was simply going to take some getting used to.

Rapunzel was another one she wasn't particularly looking forward to breaking the news to. A couple of days before Thanksgiving she took her friend on a long walk and explained the entire situation to her. They found themselves sitting on a bench that looked out over the bay Ariel had once disappeared in but was now filled with mermaids and pirate ships of old. Rapunzel had been silent through the entire conversation, staring mostly out at the waves with wide eyes as she talked. Once she'd finished there was silence but for the sound of waves lapping against the shore and the occasional gust of chilly wind.

"When?" she finally asked.

She needed no more prompting than that to understand what she was asking. "January 2nd," she answered. "Just after the new year."

Finally Rapunzel's stoic expression broke down and she saw her mouth twist into a painful smile. "That's six weeks away!" she breathed looking down at her hands.

She nodded. "We didn't want to tell people too early," she admitted, her own heartbreaking as she watched her. She'd had a lot of friends come and go in her lifetime, but Rapunzel was something more, something that she hadn't realized until just now and breaking this bond, she knew it would be her least favorite thing about all of this, but she hadn't considered it would be this painful.

"I understand," she cried. "I think I always knew something like this was bound to happen, all things considered, I just didn't think…" Rapunzel broke into tears, twisted and sad ones, before she moved forward and put her arms around her and cried against her shoulder. All the things she was considering taking with her…she'd trade all of it to take Rapunzel and her family. But their life was here, Rapunzel knew it and she knew it. Unless they succeeded, this was truly an end for them and it would take more than one conversation to be over something like that, for both of them.

Telling the others, while logistically simpler than they'd expected was not as easy as they thought it would be. They announced their departure at their Thanksgiving meal, both aware it was their last with them, when they made their announcement at Granny's it cut through the festive air like a knife, ceasing all laughter and fun as every eye in the diner turned to stare at the two of them, all but Regina and Uncle Henry who looked across the table at one another. She sought out Rumpelstiltskin's hand beneath the table.

"Are you serious?" Snow asked with confusion and surprise.

She nodded.

"How exactly are you planning on doing this? Why wouldn't you tell us, we could figure this out together?" Emma demanded. Their explanation went well enough until they finally came clean and confessed that they had enough beans to take them to all the realms and back to Storybrooke again if they please.

"You have beans?" Killian snapped with irritation.

"Come now are you really that surprised?" Rumple questioned sarcastically.

"You could have given one to your grandson! Henry could have had one to come home with!" she yelled.

"All things considered I think he did alright," Jacinda remarked.

"It was my understanding that Henry wanted to find his own way back!" Rumple pointed out. "He did, I don't understand the frustration."

The news hadn't gone as well as she'd hoped and it wasn't long until they left the diner, everyone angry it seemed at everyone. Regina, Henry, Ella, Sabine, Naveen, even fifteen year old Lucy seemed distant, talking amongst themselves after dinner as they others huddled and talked angrily. All except David, who had no look of surprise in his eyes all night and stopped her at the door outside.

"You knew we had the beans. How?" she questioned when they came face to face.

David rolled his eyes. "Instinct. The theft of those beans was the greatest heist in Storybrooke history, you want me to believe Rumpelstitlskin had nothing to do with it over the years."

She nodded. Rumple hadn't had anything to do with heist, but now that she thought about it, it was a bit inconceivable that Rumple wouldn't have at least a few beans from it. She probably wouldn't have been surprised.

"Did you tell Rapunzel yet?" Instantly she felt her smile of amusement turn down into a frown. She nodded. "How did she take it?"

She sniffled, an automatic response whenever she thought of what had happened a few days ago. And yet…

"Better than they did."

David reached out and touched her shoulder then, he gave her a small squeeze and a smile. "I'll talk to them," he assured her. "As for Regina and Henry…they know something. All of them do."

"I know. If it's what I think it is…I think I want to be surprised, you know…"

David nodded, squeezed her shoulder and they departed for home.

The weeks that followed were filled with what she'd wanted to do all along; packing and downsizing. Some of it they were fortunate to not have to go through. Clothing and electronics would remain in this world, as was their furniture. They made piles, then made those piles smaller, then made those smaller piles even smaller. The wooden cart they used was magically expanded as much as it could without putting too much of a strain on their horses and by Christmas they had everything prepared as it could be.

Their camping things were going with them, pots and pans for cooking, pillows, blankets, and clothes that she had made that would match the first world they intended to depart to. There were four crates of books. One for Gideon, for all the books he loved and couldn't bring himself to leave behind. In theory she and Rumple were each supposed to take one and share the other, but in the end they were stuffed full of books on realms, dark magic, and legends that might help them in their search. They were taking the trunk that contained the Dark One Chronicles, lest they be left behind and fall into the wrong hands, it was probably the heaviest thing on their crate, but the way they saw it they had no choice.

Rumple had chosen to take a spinning wheel with him along with packing a chest filled with jewels which would act as their own personal bank no matter where they went. She'd planned only on taking a jewelry box with her own precious jewels that would never be for sale as well as their chipped teacup, but he surprised her that Christmas with a sewing machine that worked using a foot pump and with that she'd decided to take her sewing along with her as well. Gideon took the most, a crate of toys that wouldn't create problems for them, the rose he still carried, that lit up his room when he thought of them, and though he didn't want anyone to see, they were both aware that he'd snuck the teddy bear Rapunzel had given him as a baby into pile.

The only thing left was a box of film, the camera, and their photo albums, so they could continue to take pictures of their family adventures throughout their travels.

As the date of their departure drew nearer she was vastly aware of just how much friendlier everyone had gotten. They seemed to put the issue of the beans behind them and offered to help once more with whatever they'd needed. They were all planning on being their for their departure in the woods. Regina, Zelena, the charmings, Emma, Killian and of course Rapunzel…they were all planning on being there and wishing them good-bye and she hoped, one other person.

At Christmas she told the last person there was to tell: her father. She wrote him a letter detailing what was to happen, when they were leaving, and making it clear that they might never come back from this journey. In her heart of heart's she held onto the hope that he might show up to meet his grandson and see him off, that their last memories of one another might be of happiness and peace, but she couldn't be sure.

Their last day in Storybrooke was filled with tears, from the moment she woke up to the moment they went to bed. Though the goal was to break the curse she felt sure they wouldn't be coming back and was suddenly aware of how there were places to say goodbye to as well as people.

With plans to stay the night at the cabin they first had to say good-bye to the home they'd had, the home that they'd raised their son in thus far. They all took a lot longer than normal to leave, each one of them walking house on their own checking to make sure they hadn't left anything important behind, before leaving.

Before she left the library on her last day she felt the memories of more than a decade press down upon her.

"You want a minute alone?" Rapunzel asked, her eyes red rimmed already. She'd nodded and her friend left her to lock up, promising she'd see her in the morning.

She stared over her beloved palace of books. The clean floor. The "new shelves" they'd installed five years earlier. The polished reading tables. The well lit rooms with comfy chairs. The piping Ruby had once chained her to. The elevator Rumple had rescued her in. The little children's corner that Gideon had practically taught himself to read at. She cried. She let the tears run down her cheeks and plop onto her shirt and the floor as she made her way around, touching every surface as she went. She loved this library, but marriage was a sacrifice, and she loved her husband more. It wasn't nothing to give it up, and yet for him, it was.

Last but not least she stopped at the office. She removed her nameplate, "Belle Gold, Chief Librarian", from the door and replaced it with one she'd had fashioned that read "Raquel Rider, Chief Librarian". Then, on what had once been her desk she lay a small wrapped present with a card. Inside was everything she wanted to say but didn't have the words or the guts when Rapunzel was in front of her. And underneath the wrapping paper was a framed picture that Rumple had taken of her and Rapunzel at her wedding, both smiling, arms around each other…it was the way she wanted to be remembered and the way that she would remember her friend.

Their last drive out of town was nearly as bad as the library, every store seemed to have memories, but none as painful as the final place they were going. The cemetery was covered in a fresh blanket of snow; it made the headstones stand out even in the dark. She didn't even try to disguise her tears as they approached Neal's, and she wept openly as Rumple stared down at it in silence. Gideon was their rock. Never really knowing his brother, his emotions were directed toward them as they paid their respects and she left Rumple alone to have a private moment just as Rapunzel had allowed her. She cried as they stood away from them and for the first time that she could ever remember her son wrapped his arms around her and held her. She chuckled at the oddity of it, of her son rocking her back and forth and whispering that it was okay and Neal would always be with them as they left, but then clung tight to him and realized he was growing up far too quickly.

She held her husband when he returned and Gideon held them both together before they drove up to the cabin to spend their final night in Storybrooke.

By eight in the morning the cars began to arrive. Rapunzel, Flynn, and Pascal were first, she suspected just because Rapunzel wanted to spend as much time as she could with her and she didn't deny her. She had Rapunzel help her with the corset she had to wear beneath her blouse as Gideon kept Pascal busy and Rumple handed Flynn keys to everything that they might need. The library, the house, and the car which Flynn had always secretly and mysteriously envied. He promised to take care of all of it. David, Snow, and Neal came next, with a trailer on the back of their truck they delivered buttercup and S'more to them one last time and they watched as David hitched them perfectly to the cart, his fingers remembering exactly how they worked. When Emma, Killian, and Hope arrived, David and Killian helped load the cart to it's fullest capacity and Regina arrived with both Henry's, Jacinda, and Lucy, then Granny, Ruby and Dorothy came just in time.

Their good-byes were slow and tearful. She dragged her feet on each one giving hugs and kisses and telling everyone how much she loved them and would miss them. It wasn't until she got to Regina that she looked down the empty road and whispered "I don't suppose you got stuck in traffic coming up here?"

"Traffic in Storybrooke?! Things haven't changed that much around here."

That was that then. Her father hadn't come. That was probably for the better. Why introduce Gideon to someone that he would never truly know? But still, her hand automatically sought out the necklace around her neck, the one with a pearl that had originally been her mother's. If he came she'd intended to give it to her father as a gift, she supposed she still could now. She could hand it to Emma or Regina or Rapunzel, any of them would take it to him for her…but she couldn't. It would have been a different story if he'd come himself, but since she hadn't she could bear to turn it over impersonally like that. Besides, it wasn't as if her father wasn't going to get anything from them. She knew Rumple had forgiven her father's mortgage on the flower shop and his home, a last farewell in her mind, in his own she knew it was his way of having the last laugh and showing what a good man he was and what kind of a family the man had missed out on. He had missed out.

"Any last advice?" Rumple questioned of Regina as they stood their together, hand in hand unsure of just who was supporting who more in this moment. Stoic as he was, she could hear the emotion in his voice.

"Nope," Regina smiled with tears in her eyes. "I think you'll do fine on your own…." But then it was like something in her broke. Regina struggled to maintain the smile on her face as she stepped up closer and put her hands against Rumple's cheeks and looked deep into his eyes, a gaze a daughter might give to her father. "I think you are going to find exactly what you are looking for."

Yes, if the theory she'd put together years ago was true, then she was certain they would. And that sentence…if it was true, then this trip wouldn't be in vain. She couldn't wait to see how it all was bound to shake out.

She was already crying by the time she got to Rapunzel, but when she saw her face, her sadness her tears turned to near hysterics. She hadn't cried like this in years. But after a moment of staring, and trying to find the words they both threw themselves into one another's arms and cried into their shoulders. Their tears were heavy, their shoulders shook, and their chests quaked as their grips were both bone crunching.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Rapunzel cried into her hair.

"I know. I'm going to miss you too."

There was silence around them and she was aware that everyone with focused on them, either staring right at them, or looking away in an attempt not to focus on them. Finally Rapunzel pulled away and grabbed her hands tight.

"You are my sister," Rapunzel choked out. "No matter what anybody says or where you go or how long you are there…you are my sister and I love you more than I can tell you."

She could only nod in response before stretching her arms out to hug her again. "I love you too, I'll miss you most of all." She didn't care who had heard her. It was the truth. And if she didn't say it now then she might not ever get the chance to again.

All good things must come to an end. She couldn't hold or hug everyone forever. There was a journey to go on and one way or another it had to be started. In order to start this one had to be ended. It hurt to let go of her friends. To see tears in her son's eyes as he said good-bye to his family, to even see the pain Rumple's eyes as he knew what this journey would mean for them. But it had to be done.

Flynn helped Gideon take his place in the back of the cart, Rumple helped her up into the front seat and soon joined her. He took a magic bean from his suit jacket, looked back over his family and asked them if they were ready. They were as ready as they were ever going to be. So with final nods and waves he threw the magic bean and all watched as it opened up a portal to a new world and a new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...I bawled like a baby writing this chapter. And, I was actually kinda impressed that I'd made it this far in the writing and hadn't cried my eyes out but when I got the part about Rapunzel...yeah. I mean, I know technically that relationship isn't canon anywhere except inside of Moments, but over the years I've built it into one of my favorite relationships in the Moments Series. To get that opportunity and curse of seeing it through to its last moment was sad for me.
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter! I"m glad you're enjoying it! I'm not going to say that I hope you enjoy this chapter, but I hope that you feel it is a nice conclusion to the Storybrooke School Years. In the next chapter, we're moving on and we'll officially be into the fourth section, which I call "The Wandering Years". Peace and Happy Reading!


	28. A Less Than Encouraging Start

She'd passed through curses before and been caught up in tornados that took her to other lands, but that was all nothing compared to the strangeness she felt passing through a portal made by a magic bean. It was odd. It shimmered and whirled like a disc, sparking magic with a single image on the other side that held no traits to betray where they were going. It was terrifying. But they rode on through, and the moment they stepped into it the forest around her seemed to bend and twist into a tunnel, one made of ever swirling trees and dirt, leaves and earth. And up ahead there was stillness and blackness.

She held tight to Rumple's arm as the horses pushed through and everything they knew fell away. The air cooled around her. Her stomach was rolling. She'd never been a victim of seasickness before, but she felt sure that this was what it must have felt like, to be on solid ground as the world around swayed and shifted. She closed her eyes against it and prayed it would be over fast until they stopped.

It was all very sudden that the rushing sound in her ears that she hadn't even been aware of stopped. When they finally arrived in the new realm, they had to stop for a while just to collect themselves. Gideon had crawled up into the front seat and held his mother, in his best effort to be comforting instead of needing the comfort, but she could tell that he did. He was eleven and trying desperately to be a man instead of a boy so she did her best to let him do both, to cling to her son and hold him tight so that he could take from it what he wanted.

Rumple had gotten off the wagon in an instant and was examining their surroundings, it wasn't until she and Gideon were calm enough to pick up their heads that she realized why. They'd arrived in a forest, but the forest smelled like fire. The sky was dark gray, and there was something in the air that made her cough, some kind of dusty black particle that clung to her fingers. She reached for her shawl and put it over her mouth and nose just as Gideon did the same with his sleeve. She'd always heard Regina stress that she'd left many of the unsavory worlds out of Storybrooke, she could already easily see why this one hadn't qualified. What was this world they'd arrived in?

She opened her mouth to call out to Rumple, but before she could, she heard something just over her shoulder. It sounded like a growl only more guttural. It was like a gurgle, a very deep moan. There was a sound like rustling leaves, and she watched as something pale appeared through the darkness of the forest. It was a man. He was dragging his foot behind him.

Her eyes widened, and she had only a second to wonder why he kept moving without feeling the pain it must have been causing him when she looked into his eyes and saw very clearly why the man wasn't speaking. He was missing half his face. His dead eyes stared ahead as though not seeing them at all as he limped along and she felt bile rise in her throat as the place his nose was gave way to gore and a gaping hole, before the yellowish color of bone flashed at her from his jaw.

"Gideon…" she drew her son closer to her and watched the odd creature, wondering why it wasn't dead on the ground when it paused too, raised it's face to the air as if to sniff, then turned it's head so that it's unseeing eyes looked right at them. It moaned again, then lifted one of its arms and let out a squeal.

She screamed.

Gideon tightened his grip around her waist.

The creature took two steps forward.

She shielded Gideon.

There was a thud, and she realized she'd closed her eyes only when she opened them again and saw the thing lying motionless on the ground, a steel arrow through its eye. Her heart was racing as she looked over her shoulder and saw Rumpelstiltskin with a crossbow in his hand still aimed at where the creature stood. She glanced down to check on Gideon and saw he'd opened his eyes and was staring at where the thing lay, then quickly looked back at her husband.

"Where have you brought us?" she questioned with fire in her voice. She trusted him, truly she did, but this had been a rather rude awakening and if he'd scared Gideon in some way-

"Here, take this," he muttered handing her the crossbow and a small satchel of the steel arrows. She watched in amazement as he walked to the creature, removed the one that he'd fired, cleaned it and added it to her small quiver.

"Father, where are we?" Gideon questioned as they made room for him back on the wagon.

"Last I heard it was called the Steam Realm," he explained looking around. "I was under the impression that these woods would be safe, but it would appear that they've been overrun. We have to hurry to get inside the city walls where it's safe. It's not far from here, but don't hesitate to shoot anything that moves!" he warned looking down at her.

She only shook her head, still in shock of what had happened and what they'd witnessed. She didn't recognize this world at all and couldn't think of a single reason they needed to be here. What answers would this place have?

"I don't understand," she muttered as he encouraged the horses to move. "Why would you bring us here? Why would you think this place has answers?"

"This place is a realm where nightmares are real," he answered simply. "What greater nightmare is there than me?"

She could think of ample things to say to what he'd just said, but at the moment Gideon was trembling against her side and Rumple seemed more determined than ever to get out of the woods and to the safety of "the city" as he'd called it. There seemed to be very little point in arguing semantics with him at a time like this. Instead, they pressed on, she kept her crossbow loaded, and just as he'd predicted, in no time at all they'd reached a river. Across from that river was a city. One that she recognized and yet didn't at the same time.

"London!" she blanched. The clocktower was easily recognizable and yet the steady streams of black smog that rose over the top of it and covered the sky was unfamiliar and eerie. But it still wasn't as odd as the bridge they found into the city. They'd taken Gideon to a zoo once, and the petting area had looked something like that bridge. A large twelve foot high wrought iron gate greeted them on one side. The bridge itself was surrounded on all sides with more cage, and though she couldn't be sure at these distances, she was certain it continued to the other side where another large gate would greet them. There was a small hut on the other side of the gate, and she watched as Rumple talked to the three guards on the other side quickly. Eventually, they opened the gate for them, but she was stunned to see that it was only an entrance. Twenty feet further down was another gate with another lock. Once the gate closed behind them they and their horses were inspected, Gideon and Rumple were asked to remove their shirts and pants, right down to their underthings to prove nothing was wrong with them. Because she was a woman they'd only shown a bright light in her eyes and been satisfied.

"Lucky you, you're with your men," one of them growled. She'd had something to say to that, but she could feel the tension in Rumple's eyes and forced herself to keep quiet. She didn't understand where they were and until it was safe to talk about it, she relented, keeping quiet as they traveled through three more gates and finally into the city.

It was a world run on steam and coal, the fine particles in the air and blackness she saw over London were only the result of all of it. Rumple had been right, the city wasn't so bad, and after finding a stable to board the horses she was happy to escape to a little inn where the air seemed relatively clean. It was only there that Rumple informed them that this truly was a world of nightmares, where plagues existed that turned people into terrifying creatures.

"Like the zombie we saw in the woods!" Gideon realized beside her.

"More or less," he agreed.

Vampires, werewolves, though not the friendly kind like Ruby, Zombies, even Ghouls all existed in this world and their diseases were transferred to others via blood, usually, but only if an individual was lucky enough to survive being fed upon. Inside the city it was safe, the people had banded together and were fighting the terrifying populations off and driving them into the woods. But the price of being in the city was that they were trapped here. No magic would be permitted in the streets, Rumple informed them glaring at their son. They wouldn't be able to leave the confines of the city, not until they were ready. There was a curfew, every night they had to be back inside by dark. And though he hated to advise her, his request was Belle not leave without either he or Gideon in tow.

"Different realm, different rules. We're not in the Enchanted Forest anymore."

She would have loved to challenge some of those rules, but their mission was clear, and she wasn't about to waver from it. In the mornings before she got up, she would catch her husband gazing out the window into this dusty world and the sight of him by himself was enough to remind her of his loneliness. She wasn't about to die and leave him with no way out. She had to help him. And if it meant they would be leaving this place sooner rather than later, then good riddance. All she wanted was to get out of this strange world which gave her chills from the moment she woke up to the moment she went to bed. But it was clear that in their expansive libraries, there was too much work to be done for a short trip.

Rumple sold only a single diamond; the jeweler said he'd never seen such clarity. With the proceeds they were able to rent a small row home for themselves, already furnished, a quiet oasis in this sea of misery and filth. Gideon went to the local school, and though she could see he wasn't as happy as he'd been in Storybrooke, she was happy to see he was at least trying to make friends. "At least it has toilets," he'd sighed when she asked him about it one evening. "There were places in Storybrooke that didn't even have those." His voice was changing, not in the way that she expected, but with every passing day she heard more and more of this realms accent sneaking into his speech. Day after day he grew and changed. It was easy to see the man he'd become one day, the one she'd once seen him as, but it was of benefit, she believed, that being in this realm stopped his nightmares as well as those moments of déjà vu he'd had in Storybrooke.

There was plenty of work for her and Rumple to do during the day. The libraries were full of stories, some familiar, some not and month after month they toiled away, her nose turning up at the way they were written.

"These stories are all twisted, so far from what they originally were. Listen to this, a woman with skin as pale as snow runs away from her step-mother into a wild forest because her step-mother wants to eat her heart, so it'll make her young again. In the forest, she stumbles upon a house inhabited by seven men who hunt and kill vampires for a living, now…change the details around and who does that remind you of?!"

He didn't need to answer the question. They both knew who the story was about. But that story, even the terrible way it ended was nothing compared to the others she read. It only seemed to get worse the more time they spent in the libraries and soon the tale of the Seven Hunters Mistress looked like a clean story compared to what she found.

Rumple was in their books, but the stories were so different from what they were used to that she had a hard time seeing how they were going to be of any help. Nine months into their adventure and she was beginning to question whether or not this was really the place they needed to be.

"' _The Beast's Beauty',_ " he read one evening as they prepared to go home to Gideon for curfew.

"Do not take that book home, I don't want it around Gideon!" she'd practically yelled. The truth of the matter was that the more she was here, the more she didn't want Gideon here. He had a few friends, but none he could really talk to like he had before. He was struggling with being unable to use his magic, struggling with keeping his mouth closed and covered when he went outside, struggling to find joy in a city that had not a single ounce of green in it.

And she was struggling with things like that book, their own tale, but such a terrible representation of it that it nearly made her sick.

"Why, what's in it?" Rumple pondered beginning to page through it.

She slammed it closed and put her arms around his neck, unwilling to let him see how this world thought of the pair of them. It was a tale of blood, a wild alpha wolf who found a woman out walking in the woods and fell "in love" with her beauty. The wolf killed her suitor and forced her back to his den where she lived among the other wolves. He'd done horrible things to the woman physically and sexually before biting her and making her "queen". It was a tale she wasn't surprised to find in this world. The "beauty" was silent, powerless, and nothing more than a trophy to the beast. As far as she was concerned, the title said it all, about the story, about this place, even about its people. Who would dream up such a thing...she never cared to meet such an author.

"Trust me when I say Rumpelstiltskin that you are not the worst thing in this world. Please?"

He'd nodded at her desperation and they'd both left for home.

They were in a rut. She wanted to leave, and she was becoming more and more convinced that they needed to but where to go next was the question. She didn't want to take Gideon back to Storybrooke; it would just be inviting in more hurt and even with as big as it was now she knew that it would give them no answers. Her mind went over and over all the other places she knew existed, but none seemed to work for them. The Underworld was out. Wonderland was a possibility, but she couldn't think of how anything there would point them in the right direction. Regina had always said that she'd kept The Land Without Color intact, but after living in this place or black and gray and brown she felt sometimes as though she were there already. More and more there was only one place that seemed to make logical sense to her. It was another place that Regina had purposefully left out just because time stopped there and she hadn't known how it would effect Storybrooke or their world. But how to go about suggesting they move again with no answers, that was the question.

"I found you again," she commented as she doused the light by her bedside and placed the book she'd just finished aside.

"Oh?" he questioned as she curled up next to him.

"It's a version of what happened with Cora only in this tale she married the prince."

"Well, technically she married the prince in our world too."

"In this version, she didn't make the second deal with you. You came back when she was pregnant to claim your prize, and she begged for an opportunity to go free. You told her she would if she could guess your name after three nights. Did I mention you were a demon in this tale?"

She felt him sigh in frustration just as she had when she'd read that little fact. The more they were here, the less sense it made.

"So?" he finally questioned. "What happened?"

"Someone told her the name, and you tore yourself in two."

He was silent for a moment, his body tense at the thought of what had happened. "Sounds painful," he finally commented.

"It's just a story," she sighed. "They're all stories! Just versions of things you've done and haven't done, the truth in them is very little, and there is still nothing on the legend!"

Each story was different, sometimes he was a demon and sometimes he was a ghoul, sometimes he was a horrible wolf, and on one occasion he'd been the leader of an undead army. In none of these stories had the words "Dark One" or "dagger" or "curse" come up. And she was tired of it. Just as she was tired of not seeing grass and breathing ash, or Gideon being educated by men who preached that women belonged in a kitchen and were beholden to their husbands. Just as she was tired of the looks she got if she stepped outside by herself or when Rumple took her into the library, and they saw her reading. This place wasn't what they were looking for.

"Rumple...you're certain…you can't think of where that book came from?" she begged one more time. There was no need to be specific, the book he'd retrieved from the castle and finally shown her so she could read it was a frequent topic of discussion. It would help if they knew where it had come from, which realm, that would be the place they should look! But scour it as she had, not once had she ever arrived at details that would let on to its origins. And whenever she asked him his thoughts the answer was always the same.

"No. It wasn't from the Enchanted Forest; that's all I know."

Then that left them with only one other option that she could think of. She had no idea if it would be productive or not and she'd never been there herself, but she hoped that it would be better than here. In fact, she knew it would be. Anywhere was better than where they were.

"I think we need to go somewhere else," she sighed into his chest.

"Like?" he questioned with enough curiosity that she knew if she could come up with one good reason to leave he too would jump on it. One good place and one good reason. That much she could provide.

"The Land of Untold Stories," she suggested.

"Why would you want to go there?" He seemed genuinely shocked at such a suggestion. Regina hadn't brought it over because of the time issue but also because most who had wanted to stay in Storybrooke already had. There was a small contingency that was still there and ran the dirigible that could be seen on the brightest days anywhere in Storybrooke. And she'd been concerned with the kinds of tales that might have ended up there and the effect it would have bringing them into the light. It was a land of runaways, what would have happened if she'd forced them out of hiding?

When she'd first thought of it, she was surprised too for those very reasons. But it was the best she could come up with, and at least it wasn't here. One good reason was all she needed.

"Because it's filled with stories not told and we are looking for one that might not be told to us in our world," she pointed out. "At the very least it might give us an idea of where to go next."

"That world is full of refugees from other worlds, fleeing for one reason or another, it's chaos at times!"

At that argument she propped herself up on her elbow to look down at him, wishing that moonlight here was powerful enough to cut through the smog of the city and allow her to see his face.

"And we'll be no different. We aren't looking to cause trouble, Rumple. And this world is worse than chaos. I just want a breath of fresh air for my son. If we can get that there then give me one reason we shouldn't go?"

She saw only a dark outline that reached up and tangled his fingers into her hair, rubbing it between his fingers. She knew that he was looking at the gray hairs that were becoming more and more numerous every day. She didn't notice them as much as he did, but she'd been ever more aware of it since he'd made his intention to break the curse nearly two years ago. She reached up and pulled that hand, and thus his invisible gaze away from the evidence of aging.

"Please Rumple," she whispered kissing his knuckles. "I don't want our son here any longer. With no other leads, this is the best idea we've had since we came here and…sometimes wandering another path can lead you exactly where you want to go."

"Who said that?"

"I did."

"And how would you know that? Did you come up with it just now?"

"No," she laughed. "I know it because a long time ago a scared little princess dared to become a caretaker and wound up exactly where she wanted to be."

"You're right," he finally agreed. "As always." With a sigh he drew her back to his chest and covered her with the blanket for warmth. "We'll make preparations right away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to section four, "The Wandering Years". This section fills in the time between when they leave Storybrooke and when they arrive at the Edge of Realms. Now, this section was difficult because I had to figure out places they hadn't been, places Regina wouldn't know about, or places that wouldn't be included in her curse. I did have Regina state way back when the crew returned that she didn't bring The Land of Untold Stories because of the time thing. And I've watched that last scene a dozen times and never seen any evidence (aside from the dirigible) that it was there (remember TLoUS had that night arched feature, not present in Storybrooke at least that we saw). And seeing as how they are potentially looking for something untold, it seemed like a good place to send them. This place however I sent them for really one reason. Well...I suppose two. I didn't want to give them hit after hit on this search of theirs, I figured that at some point they had to take a couple of misses. In thinking of places we never saw on the show the Steam Punk theme came to mind and then I thought of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Dracula and so many of the good vampire novels I've read and this world popped into my mind. The reason I had to make it England...was Gideon. Because when we hear him later he has an English accent and after spending his time in Storybrooke and with his parents he really shouldn't; it doesn't make sense for him to. So I sent them here. In an earlier chapter, when Gideon was just starting to talk, I mentioned that he had his father's talent for accents and voices. I figured if I threw him in England for a year, at a time in his life when he might be trying to fit in and his voice was changing, it might be something that could stick. Hope that logic follows with ya'll.
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 and MissBansheeAbby for your wonderful comments. I thank you for reading! I thank you for your continued support as we enter these last couple of sections for the Moments Series. Hard to believe but it's getting more and more real with every chapter! Stay tuned, we're going to be in this section for a while and then we'll be on to our final section. Bring it on! Peace and Happy Reading!


	29. Pre-Teenage Angst

Leaving was not as easy as she'd wanted it to be. Somehow, perhaps foolishly, she'd hoped when she woke up the next morning, they would simply pack up their belongings, and then be gone. But just as it was a year ago in Storybrooke, it wasn't as simple as all that. It didn't take months, but it wasn't something that could be done in a week.

Gideon, just as she'd suspected, was not unhappy about being told they were leaving. He'd had enough of this realm and like her longed to be somewhere that he could look up and see the sun against the blue sky, instead of a yellow haze against a gray sky. He felt no qualms about leaving school in the middle of the year and told them that he wouldn't even care if they left in the middle of the week. He'd not succeeded in making friends in this world. Neither had she or Rumple. There was no one to say good-bye to this time around, only things to do.

The work mostly lay with Rumple, as he carefully gathered up what they'd acquired but wouldn't be taking with them and traded it. He did the same thing with their money as well, once more trading it for precious jewels that were the common currency throughout all the realms. But when he came back from doing the last of the transactions the last night before their departure she could tell she was unhappy about it.

"Next time, no matter how long we stay, we buy, we don't rent."

"Why? What happened?" she questioned setting the folded blankets aside so he could join her on the sofa.

"There is no money to be made. We've spent a year renting this place and now that we're leaving there is nothing to be made off of it. At least if we buy we get the money back after some time, even if we sell it cheaper to a third party."

"Buy low, sell high…ever the pawnbroker," she commented putting her arms around him as he lay his head against her.

"Ever the dealmaker," he corrected before kissing her and settling down once more in a rare moment of exhaustion and utter surrender.

Doing all these things quickly hadn't been easy, but at least they were done. The only things they had left to do was retrieve their horses tomorrow, pack their cart, and leave the city so that they could have a safe place to throw the bean and go. The only things that weren't really packed were the clothes they were wearing, which would be fine where they were going as the Realm of Untold Stories was really more of a hodge-podge of different realms where nothing was wrong and everything was right. She could continue to wear the clothes from this world, but she for one was looking forward to getting back into her blue dress, leaving these corsets behind, and bearing a little bit of skin in public without the risk of shaming her family or being accused of attracting the monsters beyond the city walls.

That afternoon they did a final walk-through of their home, made sure that everything they'd brought with them was out and nothing was accidentally left behind, then traveled with their horses to the same bridge that they'd once come in on. They'd known it was difficult getting out of the city, but she hadn't expected it to be impossible. The guards wouldn't let them through. They hadn't known it, but the King had declared that no one was to leave the city as the population outside was decreasing and every healthy human body was important, too important to risk their own lives. She had many opinions about that as well as the "health" of the bodies living in this place. But that was a battle she wasn't willing to fight now. Right now all she wanted was the take Gideon and get out of here.

"What are we going to do now?" Gideon questioned.

"Now what?" she echoed as Rumple urged the horses back through the street. "There are no woods around here, no place to do this privately."

"Then we won't do it privately," he exclaimed.

"Rumple?"

"The way I see it, we only need to get through quickly, damn the consequences, we just need the right time."

The right time turned out to be well past midnight. Though there was a curfew in place, the family found a spot to halt their horses that was relatively out of sight. Relatively, but not entirely and that was where Gideon helped.

"Hold it steady, son." Gideon stood in front of the horses, his hands held above his hands, fingers flexed in concentration. Police, prostitutes, criminals…they all walked on by the alley they were in without giving their horses a second glance. All around her she could see a slight shimmer of air, something that told her Gideon's attempt to render them invisible was working. Her son's back to her, she beamed instead at her husband and tightened his fingers over his own. She knew he wanted free of this curse, just as much as she wanted him free of it, but there was no doubt that their son was good and his magic was impressive. Rumple was the reason for that. She hoped Gideon's use of it meant his knowledge would live on long after he was gone, and not that Rumple would be teaching generation after generation.

Finally, just after midnight Rumple determined the time was right. The streets were quiet, the police were twenty minutes from their next pass by, and the darkness in the houses meant that most of the people were asleep. It was then that Rumple led the horses out of their alcove, that Gideon hopped back into the cart utterly exhausted from the magic he'd spent. Rumple removed a magic bean. It happened so fast she missed it. Her husband closed his eyes, then threw the bean and didn't even wait for it to land before he snapped the reins and urged the horses forward in a gallop. She heard the noise, but was too busy holding onto Gideon and shielding her eyes against Rumples shoulder that she didn't see the moment they passed through or if there were any disturbances caused by their departure.

When she closed her eyes, she was in that realm, when she opened her eyes she had to shield them. The sun was high in the sky, almost too bright for her after the year they'd had, and when they adjusted, what lay before her nearly took her breath away.

"Oh!" They were in a garden, a lovely garden. Above them a golden sun beamed unhindered warmth, around them flowers grew in every kind of color she could imagine! Beneath them there was grass and it broke her so that she cried.

"Mother are you alright?" Gideon questioned.

She nodded as she got down off the cart and took off her shoes just to feel it beneath her feet. "I'd forgotten the color of it," she breathed soaking it all in. In truth, she'd forgotten every color but gray and brown. The vibrancy of it all was breathtaking. As was this world. He'd been right, there were people from every time and place it seemed in the main square. And evidence from all of those worlds greeted them at every turn.

On the one handthere was a market, very much like she'd seen in the village below the Dark Castle when she was young, but on the other hand, when she looked up she could see a dirigible and hot air balloons. In their rooms at the inn, much to Gideon's displeasure, there were no toilets, they were back to chamber pots and basins of water, but electric lights did suspend from their rooms, with metal switches they could flip on and off when it got dark. But two weeks later, when Rumple found and purchased a little two bedroom house on the outskirts of the main square, they weren't ask lucky. It was made of wood and used a hearth for cooking. It's most modern of marvels was a stove that could be used to heat the house.

But she was happy again. She found herself happy to do little chores, like putting clothes out on the line, just to enjoy the feel of the sun on her skin. She didn't have anything against Winter or Rainy days, but after a year in that awful version of London, she had a new love for summer she'd never expected she could have.

And this place, it turned out it was a wealth of information, just as she'd hoped. But the best of the information, much to her surprise, was not the library, but rather the people. They were looking for stories from other realms and the people here were from other realms. Better than combing through every book in the library, which she allowed Rumple to do just because he preferred that task, was talking to the people. With Gideon in school all day, and Rumple at the library, she was happy to approach people on the street, make casual conversation with them, and ply them for any knowledge they had on the Dark One, Dark Magic, or potential ways to get rid of curses.

Her husband was a lot more popular than she'd ever imagined him to be. People from lands that she'd never heard of heard of him and had their tales to tell. Some of the tales were familiar, the one with Cora seemed to be renown, though the story varied almost as much as their own did, realm to realm. Still whenever they came across a relevant story, especially one that described the undoing of his curse, they scoured the library for more information. They came up empty. Each and every time they discovered something they found the story was unfounded and she was beginning to understand why.

"Because you're still cursed," she explained to him one night as they set the table for dinner. "The Dark One isn't replicated in any of the stories, you are the Dark One. And there can't be any stories because you are still cursed. All these things about why you've disappeared are only observations and guesses and we know it's because you haven't died you've just-"

She jumped and nearly dropped the glasses in her hand as Gideon came into the cabin and slammed the door behind him.

"Changed…Gideon?" she called out, but his feet sounded on the wooden stairs that led up to his loft. She glanced over at Rumple and their faces fell.

She was happy here, Rumple was happy here, but Gideon…he was certainly happier here than the other land, but not happy. At first, he had tried, truly he had, to make friends with the children at his new school, but he was different to them, and they were different to him. Try as she may to endear him to it he still had no love of it and friends for him were a thing of the past. It made her heart hurt every time that she thought of it and she knew that Rumple felt the same. They were to the point when talk to him did very little to comfort him and yet every time he came back to the house in a fit like this it was always their first response. This time around, with the stew in the pot nearly done and the look on Rumple's face, it was her turn.

"Gideon?" she knocked politely on the door but didn't wait for a response before she went in. She found him hunched over his dresser, brown hair in his eyes, he still looked at her through the mirror against his wall and she saw him quickly cover one hand with another. "Gideon?" she questioned again, a warning in her voice that she'd seen that action and she expected him to face her and show her what he was hiding. He did, and she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as she looked over the red and bloodied knuckles on his hand.

"Gideon!" Now she knew why he'd been standing by his dresser. It was where he kept a basin of water for washing, and sure enough, the white cloth by it was wet and stained with blood. "What happened?" she questioned as she picked up the cloth herself and started to wash away the worst of it so that she could evaluate just how bad it was.

"I hit a tree," he answered. She knew that he'd think it was ambiguous enough to settle her, let her think that he'd accidentally scraped against a tree while he was running, but she was smarter than that. She knew from where the injury was that he'd actually hit the tree, punched it by the look of it.

"Why? What happened?"

But Gideon didn't answer her, he just pulled his hand free from her own, grabbed a book off his shelf and plopped down on his bed, pretending to read. Saddened as she was by the action, she felt anger rise up inside of her. This was getting old. Just as he was getting older. He was nearly thirteen and she could already see how her sweet baby boy was beginning his change into a man. He was taller than her, which wasn't new, but being almost as tall as his father was. She was beginning to notice small occasional squeaks in his voice, a telltale sign that soon enough his voice would be changing, lowering. That, combined with the accent he had picked up in the other realm and never lost, were allowing her to see him as she knew him once. He was aging, and along with age came the attitude. Two years ago he would have told her in a heartbeat what was bothering her but these days he preferred to remain quiet, to keep whatever it was he felt inside instead of projecting it. It hurt. And it made her angry.

"Gideon, enough of this!" she insisted gathering his rag and sitting beside him.

"It's nothing!"

She did what she never thought she'd ever do and took the book from his hands so he had no choice but to pay attention to her. "Something is wrong, I know something is wrong, but I can't understand why you won't tell me! Refusing to talk to your father and I isn't going to help anything, it may only make it worse! Tell me what is happening!"

"I miss my friends, okay!" he yelled suddenly, pulling his hand from her and curling up into a ball on his bed. "I just miss my friends…" he mumbled again.

It was enough to break her heart, even if she had suspected as much. He had lived the majority of his life with the same people, the same best friends, in a world that knew who he was and what he was so nothing was secret, not even from his parents. Doing this, hopping realm to realm, school to school meant that he was different, in the last world his gifts had been a secret, and the only people he had to connect with were his parents.

It wasn't the first time that she suspected his lack of friends might be the problem, but it was the first time that she found herself questioning whether or not this quest was the right thing to do. Gideon had been at a critical part of his life when they had begun this. And though she knew that he understood the importance of this journey that didn't mean that it was worth all this heartache to him. All they wanted was what was best for Gideon, were they being selfish in their search for Rumple's cure?

"Gideon…" She sniffled in and wiped her eyes as she leaned over him and rubbed his arm. This conversation was about to become very serious and she didn't want to talk to his back. He wasn't looking at him, but at least she could see his face and all the anger and sadness in his eyes as he avoided her own gaze. "We can stop all this you know. We can take you back to Storybrooke, if that's what you want."

That suggestion got his attention. His eyes finally broke from their fixed point and he looked over at her. "You can?" he questioned with a small voice. He too rubbed his eyes, the man inside of him telling him that tears were for boys.

She managed a smile. "We can," she confirmed, though it broke her heart to say them. She was aware of just how important this conversation was, just how imperative it had become. In a moment she might have to go downstairs and explain to Rumple that they were putting their search off for a few years. He'd be disappointed but Gideon would be happy. The only way this would work for all of them was if she could talk to Gideon, make him see what she did, and they could work together to fix all of this. He wasn't the first child to have to move because of his parents, but what they were doing was far more than that.

"Gideon…" she pulled him back up so that he sat beside her once more. "Your father and I love each other very much and we want you to learn that so you can see what that love looks like, but we also love you and we want you to be happy," she explained putting her arm around him. "When we started this journey, we thought you would be happy, we never imagined it would be this hard on you. We don't want that. If you say the word then we'll put this on hold, we'll go back to Storybrooke and we'll wait until you're older to go on this journey."

Gideon paused and thought through her words so carefully she could see his mind at work. "You are going to find a cure for father no matter what I say, aren't you?" he finally questioned.

She nodded without hesitation. "Yes, we are. Because I love your father, and someday I'm going to get old and die and I don't want him to ever be alone."

"But what about me?" Gideon questioned. "I'll still be around, he could stay with me."

"Someday you will be married and have a family of your own."

"Papa could come live with all of us, then my children, and my grandchildren, and my great grandchildren…"

She smiled. It was a kind thing to say, a very boyish answer, but only because he didn't have adult experiences to tell him otherwise. "That's a lovely offer, Gideon, and I'm sure he would love it."

"But…"

It was a boyish offer but he was enough of a man to sense that things weren't as easy as he imagined. What he man enough to understand why? Did she have what it would take to explain it to him? He wasn't a child but he wasn't an adult yet either and yet she suddenly had the feeling that this was a very adult conversation he would have to understand.

"But…Gideon, being in love like your father and I are in love is different than any other love. It's…it's final and…unbeatable. It's immeasurable and everlasting. I can't imagine what my life would be like if your father wasn't in it and I don't want to. Do you think he wants to imagine life without me?

Gideon thought for a moment before shaking his head sadly. "No…you're my mother and father, I don't think it would be the same if you weren't together," Gideon let out a sudden unexpected smirk. "I don't think I can remember a time when both of you weren't together."

And given the way they'd behaved before he'd been born that wasn't just something she was proud of, that was a mission accomplished. But not every mission.

"All we want is to continue to be together Gideon, in this life or the next, no matter what it brings. You know that your father can't do this as he is now. I know that we're asking a lot of you, I know it's a lot to understand-"

Gideon let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "It's not," he moaned. "Not really. I understand. I just…I miss the way were in Storybrooke. I miss Neal and I miss Philip. I miss going to the library after school when you'd help me with my homework. I miss talking about books over dinner and having lunch in the shop on my days off. I miss seeing museums and learning magic with Papa. I just want it back Mother."

"Oh, Gideon…" Her eyes were welling up with tears again, a mixture of both happiness and sadness. Happiness because his description pointed to the fact that it wasn't so much his friends that he was missing, but sadness because what it seemed that her son missed was actually the pair of them. Had they been neglectful of him? Not intentionally. In fact wherever they went they made sure Gideon had a good school and every chance to succeed just as he would have in Storybrooke but they weren't in Storybrooke anymore and the truth was that Gideon was different from his classmates. Of course they wanted him to make friends, but in order to make friends he would need someone to talk to about the changes he was going through. She had Rumple, and Rumple had her, but Gideon had no one. He needed them. And it was clear from where she sat that mistakes had been made.

But, the mistakes that she saw they'd made were fixable, maybe not easily, but fixable all the same.

"I think maybe we've made a mistake in all of this."

"You do?" he questioned timidly.

She nodded and sat closer to him, threading her arm through his elbow. "How would you feel about helping your father and I?" she questioned. They'd made every effort to make sure that his life wouldn't be hindered by their quest, but that was the problem, it left him alone on the outside and getting him back in was as easy as making it a family affair instead of one for them in which they took their son along for the ride.

It was the right thing to suggest as immediately Gideon perked up. "Really?" he asked, a smile was already forming on his face.

Rumple wasn't going to be crazy about this. They'd tried to engage him in other activities in order to purposefully make this their problem instead of his, but at the moment all she wanted was for her son to be happy again and if this was what it took, then so be it. Rumple would get over it. And there was one other thing she figured she could do, that she'd actually planned on doing before she'd discovered the school in the other realm.

"Really. And what if I taught you in the afternoons, this way you wouldn't have to go to school every day and you could be with us more."

"We can really do that?"

She nodded. It would be a good compromise, this way he would still interact with children his own age but he'd have much less time with it. And if he ever got to the point where he preferred school instead he could always go back full time, though in this world, she knew as well as he did that most kids didn't go to school much older than thirteen. Most were done by the time they were fourteen and she had yet to see one student at that school older than fifteen. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. If it meant making Gideon happy, then she was happier with sooner. And so was Gideon.

He nodded at her offer and beamed at her. "I think I'd like that a lot, Mother."

She reached out and was happy that he'd fallen into her arms just as she wanted him too. "I love you Gideon."

"I love you too," he muttered back. "You and Papa both. And I don't want you to be apart."

She smiled as he pulled away from her and she prepared to explain to Rumple what they'd discussed. What she planned to tell him was exactly what she told Gideon. "If you help us then we won't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write for many reasons. First, it was fun to write Gideon in that special time when he's not really a boy but also not really a teenager. He's sort of in that weird Pre-Teen spot where he has the body and reactions of a teenager but his emotions and some of his logic is still that of a boy. It's a good "growing up" chapter for Gideon. The second reason, which is also Gideon related, is that it does show a special relationship between Gideon and both of his parents. Because this is a story told from Belle's perspective we don't get to see the Rumple/Gideon moments, but we know they are happening. Obviously, Gideon uses his magic in this chapter and that is an obvious result of his relationship with his dad, but in his conversation with his mother he also mentions going over to the shop and spending time with his father. Then, obviously, this conversation is just a really great moment between Belle and Gideon. It does show frustration, which any mom would have with a pre-teen who has been shutting himself in his room for weeks at a time (remember, I'm not trying to make them the Cleavers here) but it also shows a lot of love between mom and son. I hope you've enjoyed it.
> 
> Big thank you to Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. I'm interested to see what you'll think of these next few chapters as I tend to think there is a bit more of a shift toward Gideon in them. I'm sorry that time seems to go a bit faster during this time but again, I was very aware of the fact that I couldn't write in every single lovely moment between Gideon and his parents otherwise this fiction would have gone on forever. I had to write down the moments that I thought were particularly important. I hope you'll understand. Peace and Happy Reading!


	30. Too Close for Comfort

At fourteen years old, Gideon was taller than both his parents. But while he dwarfed her, the difference between him and his father was only a few inches that she swore increased day by day. His voice had changed completely, and while she missed the sweet high pitches of his childhood tones, she was happy that the cracking had stopped, and left him with a voice so deep and smooth it reminded her of caramel. The accent that he had gained from that dreadful year in Twisted England remained. It was the only reminder of that year, the only physical evidence of the difficulties he'd overcome, especially in their first few years on the road with him. In the last year and a half they have moved three times. But with Gideon's aging, it ensured that things got easier over time. Tutoring him herself had helped, trusting him with responsibilities of his own had been key.

The next time they moved they didn't downsize. Instead, they traded in their large cart for two medium sized ones that combined had a larger capacity than the first. They were in charge of one, and Gideon was placed in charge of the other as well as in charge of the horses when the next place they lived not only had a barn for the horses but chickens as well. He enjoyed assisting them in their search, going to libraries, looking through museums, interviewing older sorcerers…he thrived on it, keeping a little notebook of his own in the first year to keep all the knowledge that he'd learned stored in so that nothing would be forgotten. He was nearly as dedicated to it as he was, though they were pleased to find that it was only "nearly". He had other interests, and because he was tutored at home and had a foreign accent the last few places he'd gone his "difference" wasn't seen as bad, but rather exotic and interesting. The other children enjoyed talking to him, the other teenagers asked him over to dinner, and she'd even noticed that since he'd started putting a little bit of meat on his gangly form the girl's heads had begun to turn in his direction as well. He was growing into quite the handsome young man, as far as she was concerned. And much to the pleasure of one his parents, just before his fourteenth birthday in this place he'd caught the eye of a local sorcerer. The Sorcerer had seen his talent and felt compelled to take Gideon on as an apprentice of sorts, teaching him what he knew and guiding him in a way that he wouldn't let his father at the moment. This was, of course, to Rumple's displeasure.

Still, though they both agreed that Gideon had to be careful and coached him through what to look out for, they also agreed that it was good for him. They were both pleased by the joy it brought him day in and out. And they tried their best to carve out family time where they could.

"Happy Birthday, Gideon! Blow out the candles, make a wish!"

They did live their lives in the midst of this search, making sure they took time to enjoy the little things around them and take pleasure in each other's company. She'd made the cake for him while he'd been out at Master Rays this afternoon and Rumple had used some old cloth to wrap up the present they'd gotten him on their last trip to another realm. Their son's birthday was always a time to stop and celebrate what they had.

She stood beside her husband, her arm around his shoulders as he held her close around the waist. Gideon took a deep breath, then used every last bit of it to blow all fourteen of the candles she'd painstakingly made out. She clapped as the gray smoke rose from it and moved forward to kiss his cheek for what must have been the millionth time that day. "Happy Birthday, Gideon."

"Happy Birthday, son."

"Thank you, both," he smiled before looking over at Rumple. "I wished that this year would be the year, Father. That this year we might break you free of your bonds."

"That's quite a wish to make son."

"Which is why I also wished for a new book," he added excitedly turning to the square shaped present they'd set before him. As he untied the string Rumple pushed his chair back and she took the invitation upon herself as she sat down upon his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel the emotion coursing through him at the comment that Gideon had made, the happiness and sorrow that was surging through him and she leaned her head against his own, hoping that it would give the comfort she knew he needed at the moment.

"Is this really-"

"It is," she responded as Gideon's eyes lit up.

"This is the one Master Ray told me about!"

"We found it in a little shop on the trip a few months ago," Rumple explained.

"Your father distracted you while I ran in to get it."

"And you've had it all this time!" he chuckled. "Thank you! I can't wait to show him I have it! May I go now? Before the sun's gone down?"

She felt Rumple tense beneath her but nodded in permission. "You may, but I want you back before it's dark and don't forget that we're leaving in the morning for a while. And take the man a piece of cake! He's skinnier than you!"

Gideon did as he was told and fussed about the house finding a cloak and basket to set two pieces of cake inside, then grabbed his book, kissed her on the cheek and was off. The look on Rumple's face, however, was anything but pleased.

"He'll be back," she assured him moving her fingers through his hair.

"His birthday should be family time," he commented darkly.

"And it has been and will be again. But he's allowed to have friends and you know as well as I do that Master Ray has no one but Gideon. The visit will do him far more good than a piece of cake."

Still, her husband sulked about. It was hard; she knew it was. Up until they'd lived in this village and Master Ray had come into their son's life, Rumple had been Gideon's sun, moon, and stars. His teacher and hero…now he felt as though he shared the title with another and whether or not it was true, she could tell it cut him deeply.

"He's growing up," she muttered holding him tighter. "He's going to meet other's besides you and I who will give him relationships we can't, my love. It's natural."

He nodded and finally stopped staring to look over at her. His eyes traced the contours of her face as he sighed and his arms tightened around her waist. "I love you," he muttered.

It was more for him than it was for her. He'd said it as a reminder of what he had, but also out of desire to hear the words that came next. "And I love you," she responded. Children grew up, but love simply grew. And while she knew they could both sense that their time with Gideon was growing closer to its end with each day their time with each other was in no rush. They would be together forever through whatever changes the world brought them.

There were two kinds of adventures they went on to try and rid him of the curse. What they called "field trips" and "fact finding". They almost always moved when it came time for "fact finding". Those trips involved research and often lots of it. Between the three of them, they sometimes read entire libraries full of books looking for any information that would help them. Those kinds of trips took months, and with nothing to hold them down, they would simply move to the town or realm they wanted to be in and settle there until they had to move to the next town.

But "field trips" were different. Though they did pack for them, they only took a single cart drawn by a single horse, usually leaving the other in the hands of a nearby neighbor. Field trips were for when they thought they'd found something that might help, something that could turn out to be helpful in their searches and left for a short period of time to seek out the helpful information before returning.

The day after Gideon's birthday they went out for a "field trip". This one had been Rumple's find. He'd located a piece of literature from another realm which held that the Dark One had gone to a tower where a witch had given him answers to take away his burden. She'd thought it was nothing, just another variation on the story with Cora, but she could tell that he'd thought more about it than she had. He studied and read and come up with a picture in his mind of where exactly they needed to go. It had been a while since they'd taken any kind of trip, so she decided to indulge him, if only for morale. He was aware of this, and promised her that if it hadn't fleshed out in a week, they'd return to their cottage.

The three of them set out early that morning, with nothing other than a couple changes of clothing and their camping gear in their wagon, Rumple imagined where he wanted to go, threw the bean, and off they went.

From the very moment they arrived through the portal she knew that they shouldn't be there. It wasn't a bad place, nothing like Twisted England, as a matter of fact, it reminded her very much of the place they'd just come from. Even if it was nighttime, she could tell the sky was clear, the trees were changing colors, and a mist hung over the forest floor from where they were. But there was just an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't right about this.

"Rumple, where are we exactly?"

"I don't know," he admitted getting off the wagon on one side. "I just saw an illustration in a book, never heard of its name."

Well then, she was glad he'd thought this through. Gideon was the second out of the wagon and reached up to catch her as she jumped off the cart next. "Thank you, darling," she whispered then wasted no time getting their tents. It was bound to be a rough night. They had only just woken when they'd left, but they had done this enough times to know that the best thing to do when they showed up in a new world was to adjust to its time right away. If it was night here, then they would assemble their tents and go back to sleep or at least rest until the sun came up.

She couldn't be certain if Gideon slept in the tent next to them, though his lantern burned all night she heard not a peep out of him. He could be sleeping or reading for all she knew. She did not sleep and because she tossed and turned she knew that Rumple wasn't asleep either. He held her close, giving her as much body heat as she needed to stay warm as she burrowed closer.

"You really don't feel the slightest bit odd here?" she questioned as the first rays of light began to brighten their tent.

"Not a bit. You do?"

She nodded. "I think it's best we get to a village and figure out where you've brought us.

"One week at most Belle, I promise."

"I know." They kissed, their movements drew Gideon from his own tent, making it clear he'd gotten at least a couple of hours more sleep, and then they packed up and traveled on toward the noise.

At the sight of the village, she had a feeling that she knew exactly what it was that had disturbed her about this world. It was their own. Not exactly of course. There had only ever been one Enchanted Forest and it was in Storybrooke now, but of all the worlds they'd been to and lived in, this was the world that most resembled theirs. The homes were crude, built in little villages that were supported by market places. In the distance was a castle.

"It's just like Camelot," Gideon observed with a smile. Yes, it was, only it also wasn't. And she had no earthly idea why it gave her the chills. Perhaps it was because she had the feeling that any second now Uncle Henry, a much younger version than they'd left, might be watching them now. Or maybe even Jacinda. She had no proof this was their world, the one Regina had left intact because of the timeline and the way things moved...but she had a feeling. And she couldn't help remembering all those times Rumple had told her they shouldn't come into contact with the past. What happened if Henry was watching? What would they tell him?

They stopped their cart in the market place and she gathered some fruit and vegetables while Rumple inquired as to where they were. When he came back the answer didn't help her nerves.

"They call it the Charmed Woodland."

"You must be joking," she burst out.

He shook his head before climbing up into the cart again. "I asked three people." Charmed Woodland, not much different than the Enchanted Forest...they really shouldn't be here.

"I don't like it here Rumple, what are we searching for exactly?"

"A witch with a tower of some kind. She seems to have made quite the reputation for herself around these parts. They told me right where to look."

"'A tower'…sounds more like we need to talk to Rapunzel in that case."

"I'm not so sure we won't…" he cast her a sideways glance but was distracted immediately by something behind her. She turned to look and saw a woman, maybe about twenty years younger than her. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, her blue dress matched the color of the very dress she was wearing, and though a basket swung from her elbow as she walked she was oblivious to it as she continued on with her nose buried in her book. The villagers turned their noses up at her and began to whisper with nasty sneers in her wake. Her belly gave an uncomfortable lurch as she stared after her.

"Mother she looks like you," Gideon observed quietly from the back.

"I inquired as to leadership, who owns the castle in the distance-"

"And?!" she demanded before her husband could finish.

"It belonged to a prince once upon a time. Nasty and selfish, they described him as a beast," he answered.

"Described?" she commented, turning back to watch the woman walk away.

"The castle went dark a few years ago, now they say it's haunted. All they can hear when the wind blows just right are growls."

His comments told her just about all she needed to know but didn't bring her any comfort. She didn't want to be here. Nothing was natural about what they'd been doing for the last few years but for once she truly felt the weight of their actions and knew this was not a place they were supposed to be. In some ways it was eerier than Twisted England.

"Let's find who we need to find and leave," she begged.

Rumple nodded, snapped the horses reins, and they moved forward.

She insisted they move through the forest for she didn't want to explore the villages. She was afraid of what she might find there, nervous of the idea of seeing something or someone that might remind her of someone from the past. It was better to keep to themselves.

They traveled for two days, keeping to the woods, cooking what they had, sleeping in their tents and sleeping bags. Gideon took care of the horses, Rumple handled the camp, and she took care of the cooking. They each played their fair part and she counted down the days until their week would be up and Rumple would take them back to their house and away from here.

"We should be getting close," he assured her when they stopped for a break on the third day. "In fact, according to what the villagers say, we should have already encountered her tower."

She looked around yet again, but all she saw in the distance was what looked to be a garden. "No tower as far as I can see," she muttered, moving forward to examine the garden. Someone had to be tending to it. Maybe they could help them with directions. Or at the very least…

They were running low on food. Gideon was starting to complain that he could only eat so many more apples before he became one. Rumple had promised they'd set down early tonight so he could set a trap for a chicken, but it would be lovely to have some cabbage to go with it, or maybe some carrots. She glanced around but saw no house. They had some money in the carriage; perhaps she could leave some behind in exchange for a few goods-

The second she pulled a carrot from the ground she felt a hand close painfully over her wrist. "You've stolen from the wrong person!" a harsh, low voice hissed at her. She twisted and turned, trying to free herself from her grip.

"No! You don't understand I was-"

"Just trying to feed your family? That comes with a cost!"

"Rumpelstiltskin!" but before she could finish screaming the word she looked around only to discover that the forest she'd just been in, the garden, the carriage, Gideon, even her husband were gone. She was in what appeared to be a hut, a round hut from which she could see every room in the house. When she looked out the window all she could see was the sky. Her stomach rolled and somehow, without freeing herself or going to the window to look down, she knew they'd found the tower.

"Please, let me go!"

"You've taken the wrong person!"

She turned her attention to a growl that came from the window. It was Rumple. How he'd found her or where Gideon was she couldn't tell, but she had never been so grateful to see him in her entire life and would have run straight to him if not for the vise the woman beside her had on her arm.

"Rumple!"

"Release her!" he demanded through clenched teeth.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" the woman blanched with sudden wide eyes. "The Dark One!"

"You've heard of me."

"Only tales…"

"Release her!" he repeated. "Or the tale will become your reality." The woman tightened her grip to the point that she was certain she'd break her wrist, but then the pressure was gone and in an instant she was shoved across the room so that Rumpelstiltskin had to catch her before she fell.

"It's done!"

A few moments later, when she picked her head up out of Rumple's chest and looked around her, she was able to see that they were right back where they'd been. There was a garden, and trees, and Gideon in the wagon across the way screaming "Mother!"

"Go to him, Belle," Rumple growled with a voice she hadn't heard in years. "The witch and I need to have a little chat."

She hesitated. How could she not? She hadn't seen him like this in more than a decade and yet…

She could see Gideon making his way over to them, and the last thing she wanted was their son to see his father like this or fall prey to whatever trap the witch had set. She had to have her priorities.

"Gideon!" she called setting out for him. He stopped when she grabbed him and immediately began to haul him back toward the cart.

"What's going on? What's happened?"

"Just stay with me until your father comes back!" she ordered in a tone she hadn't had to use since he was eight and refused to pick up his toys. Gideon didn't argue, though once they were back to the cart, she could see him watching the witch and his father with careful eyes, standing by her side, preparing to protect with his magic should he need to. She watched as well, preparing to protect with her body if it was required of her. But it seemed like there was nothing to protect from. Rumple and the woman spoke at length, now and then her eyes darted over to the two of them, and she hated wondering what was being said. The woman was young, youthful almost, and clearly very powerful, but covered in rags. Her hair was twisted up into braids, and every time her gaze touched her or Gideon she felt a shiver run through her body. On one instance the woman made a step toward the pair of them and her arm sprang to action, her hand closing over Gideon's shoulder, but Rumple only stepped in front of her, cutting her off and continued to talk.

If she weren't so anxious she would have been bored. The pair talked for what felt like hours, until the sun was nearly setting in the sky. In the end, the witch stayed behind, and Rumple stormed back to the wagon. She wouldn't have needed to know him for the last seventeen years to know he was in a bad mood. With no more than a word or two of order, she and Gideon scrambled back up into their seats along with him, then he turned their horses and disappeared into the forest they'd come from.

She wanted very much to go home, to get as far away from this place as they possibly could as soon as they were a safe distance away and the sun had set he stopped the wagon and began to make camp all over again. It was an awkward night. She prepared what little food they had left and they all retired with barely a word to their tents.

Though they were both tired from their ordeal, neither of them slept. Instead of matching her body to his, her back to his front so he could hold her, she lay against his side as she would have on their mattress back at the house. It was uncomfortable like this on the ground. He was tense. And the grip he had around her back and her arms was going to leave bruises the next morning, but she didn't think to mind it. She understood it. Laying there with him in the darkness she understood that the darkness that resided inside of him had risen to the surface today in a way that it hadn't for years. In an effort to swallow it back down, and get it safely chained again he was using her as a buoy, something to hold him afloat and remind him of all he'd accomplished in these years so he wouldn't be dragged down into that darkness all over again.

Uncomfortable as it was, she responded easily enough, and spent the night tracing her fingers over the muscles in his chest. She pressed hard on the ones that were knotted beneath the skin and then gently as they began to soften all night long, massaging him and letting him know that he wasn't alone, that she hadn't fallen asleep and was with him as long as he needed her to be.

Finally, their tent began to brighten and she made note of the fact that he'd released her enough to pull herself up and look down at him. In a perfect world she wouldn't have to ask him what she was about to. In a perfect world they'd let all of this go and just go back to their current home, but this search was too invasive to allow that, and she had to know.

"What did she say, Rumple?" she finally asked.

He sighed, and reached up to push her falling hair over her shoulder and run his hands along her scalp. Without warning, he leaned up to kiss her, long and deep until her fingers were back on his chest and in his hair. He only let go when they heard the familiar rustling of Gideon's tent beside them. Their son was awake, and now they needed a plan. With another sigh, he finally whispered to her, "I know where to go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter like this was inevitable. It was one of the reasons that I had to separate EF2 from Storybrooke, one of the reasons I needed that timeline to be different. There is a scene in season 7 between Rumple and the Witch where she makes a comment that he never would have gotten to where he was without her help, I think she actually says that she told him where to go to find the answers, but it's been a while since I saw it. If you saw season 7 you know that Rumple doesn't really "get anywhere" until the end of season 7. His time in EF2 is kind of spend just hanging around Alice and waiting for the curse to be cast so I had to assume that something like this happened. Besides, I really wanted Belle to be able to see EF2 and I wanted someone to have the opportunity to say "this is so similar to home it's creepy!"
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner for your comments on the last chapter! As we draw nearer to the finish line of this story I am growing more and more excited for what is to come. The next chapter is ss actually one of my favorite Gideon chapters and I hope it'll be one of yours as well! And so, without further ado...on we go! Peace and Happy Reading!


	31. The Year of the Crystal

Try as she may, after they got back from the Charmed Woodland, she could get very little out of him about what the woman had said. She could tell that it was something big, something important but the more she pressed the more he held it inside. He promised her he would tell her one day exactly what it was, and she took him for his word because he'd kept his promise the last time that he'd made it. And so she and Gideon packed their things at his orders and off they went once more to a distant Realm.

The Realm of Realms. Sometimes called the Realm of Knowledge, in this place they prided themselves on one thing above all others: education. She'd never heard of this realm, not before Rumple told her they needed to go there, and she suspected that he'd never heard of it before that witch told him to go there for answers or else they would have tried this place long ago. But after being there for a couple of weeks she was convinced that they'd probably heard of her and everyone in all the realms that was like her.

Still, though she had been to a lot of places over the years and seen many beautiful things, it didn't take her long to realize that this realm was her favorite. It was unlike anything that she'd ever seen. They didn't have electricity, but they did have power. Houses along the river banks had water wheels, mountains contained wind turbines, homes in wide open space had reflective solar panels like she'd seen in the Land Without Magic and for all the rest there was something called Geo-power, which she didn't understand, but somehow harnessed energy from plant life. The people were friendly and well educated, both men and women, and the more time she spent the more time she found that there were no jobs that were off limits to women. They were teachers and doctors, rulers and shopkeepers, farriers and librarians. This was the world she wanted her son in, this was the world that she knew she'd want to come back to when they finally broke the curse.

It took them three small moves within this world to finally find the perfect place to settle, but the moment she laid eyes on it she knew it was where they were supposed to be.

Elphaine Academy. It was a school, this world's version of a university. There students learned magic, science, language, literature, anything they desired to learn about! Nothing was off limits! All knowledge was ripe for the picking! It was clean and large and located right beside a small village, and the school boasted one other thing that she was certain would aid them in their search. In fact, after their first tour, she was convinced that if it didn't have answers, then nothing would.

"This is the largest library in all the known realms. Residents are of course free to explore it's wonders. We boast the greatest collection of materials from all the realms."

Yes, and as her eyes searched it's shelves that extended high over her head, she suspected it had the greatest collection of materials from all the unknown realms as well. The library at Elphaine Academy was the largest she'd ever seen. It took up what easily would have been two city blocks in New York and was at least fourteen stories high. It was a wonder and while it was no surprise she and Gideon were staring in awe, even Rumpled looked overwhelmed at it all.

"Do you have information on the Enchanted Forest?" Gideon asked of the librarian who was giving them the tour.

"That would be floor five, prior to the unification of several realms, and floor six for, as it's currently known, New Storybrooke." She glanced at Rumple. They were both impressed. Gideon on the other hand, continued his quiz.

"Wonderland?"

"Floor Twelve."

"The Charmed Woodland."

"Floor Five and for information on its curse, you'll find that on floors six and seven."

"Twisted England?"

There was a slight beat in their conversation as his request almost seemed to stump the poor gentlemen. But after a moment he took a breath. "I'll assume you mean Burton," he commented gently. "Can't imagine a place other than that which fits that description, and you'll find information for it on floor twelve as well."

They hadn't even gotten to work and already she knew that this was their most profitable relocation yet. With the research she and Rumple did at the Academy every day they were going on more and more field trips, taking more and more journey's to destinations that she believed might hold answers for them. Though they had yet to find anything that could help, the sheer number of leads they'd gotten over the years seemed to encourage her husband and with Gideon suddenly feeling right at home in the local school with teenagers his own age who didn't think he was odd, but rather fascinating, she was just happy to have her family content again.

She was pleased to see their growth over the last year. Gideon was fourteen, only a few inches shy of the height she knew he would someday reach, and more than capable now of making his own decisions. At least most of the time. Immersed in school, she and Rumple had begun to feel comfortable leaving him behind on their field trips, trusting him on his own to take care of the house and horses, to use his magic wisely, and complete his studies. Of course, there were always back up plans. He was briefed every time they left on where the magic beans were and what he was to do should they be delayed in their return as well as where to meet should something happen in this world and they were separated. Predictably, all those plans revolved around Storybrooke.

"How do I know Emma will even recognize me?" he questioned when they went over their plans. "We've been gone for years and even then, I've no idea how time has passed there."

"Trust me Gideon, she'll recognize you," she assured him.

Other than a few wrinkles and worry lines he didn't yet possess he was every bit the man she was sure Emma would never forget. If she saw him again, then she'd know. And she was confident that even though the years may have passed if they went back all their old friends would help them in a heartbeat. Especially if he found Rapunzel first.

Their trip out of town this time was curtesy of a scroll she'd found, it spoke of an ancient place in The Enchanted Forest, close to Camelot that had the ability to naturally neutralize magic after a sacrifice. It stuck out to them because of its closeness to the place the curse had been born and Rumple wondered if it wasn't something left by Merlin. She was doubtful of that, as she was with the idea of a sacrifice, but the idea was worth looking into and after giving Gideon a brief talk about being on his own for a few days, they left, traveled back to their homeland, and began the task of hunting the cavern down. The plan was to leave the dagger there, if it was the source of his magic, then he was hopeful that perhaps sacrificing it to the cavern would take all of the magic he had in him away as well. Of course, they'd have to bury it, she wasn't about to risk leaving it on a rock and having someone else find and retrieve it. But the plan seemed good enough.

They found the cavern two days later. It was dark but had an unearthly blue glow to it that came she assumed from the pool of water close to it. Still there was a clear circle around the cavern floor just as the scroll had said there would be and after squeezing her hand Rumple held his breath, took his dagger, and ventured into the circle. She watched, holding her own breath and biting her lip as he walked, focusing on her husband, wondering what would happen...but as he took timid steps toward the center of the circle she suddenly felt a twinge of pain in her ankle. For a moment was able to dismiss the pain as a typical ache, something born out of aging, but then it grew into something sharp and unbearable. She shoved her fist in her mouth and fought to hold in her scream as she crumpled to the ground. There was an odd grinding feeling coming from her ankle, like bones grating together in a way they shouldn't. And then, as she lay there in a heap looking over her ankle she began to feel more. Her shoulder hurt. A searing, blinding kind of pain she could remember feeling only once and when she put her hand to the spot that hurt she felt raw skin, a hole, and her hand came away bloody. She tried to let out a scream but all at once she was feeling pain overwhelm her body around her waist and her ribs, her arms as well and she watched as brush burns appeared over her wrists. She only just remembered what it was from when she felt the sensation move up and over her throat. If she was right about what was happening, she'd lose her voice any moment now.

She glanced up and into the circle to find Rumple unaware of anything that was going on beyond the circle. Without realizing it, the wind had picked up and there was a sudden fog clinging to the rocks and spiraling at the center of the circle and the more she stared at her husband's back the more she could see what was wrong with all of this. He'd gone bony, his arms and shoulders unnaturally skinny and his hair was turning whiter than snow.

"Rumple!" her voice strained against the feeling he'd healed all those years ago but she pressed on, afraid of what might happen if he continued his walk. "Rumpelstiltskin stop!" she cried, with every last ounce of strength she had inside. It was enough. He turned to look at her on the ground and she nearly screamed at the sight of sunken eyes and receding lips. It was like a nightmare, like something out of Burton, and would have been if his worry for her hadn't overwhelmed him and forced him to move back to her. With every step he became what he was again. His hair returned to it's sandy gray, his figure became fuller and his face plumper again as he ran the last few steps and fell down beside her.

"Belle, you're bleeding!" he cried taking his hand and healing the gunshot wound just as he had years before. "Your bruises…" his hands shook and he seemed lost for words as he watched them bloom all over her. He touched her neck first, the pain and swelling there would have closed her windpipe just as Ursula wanted once upon a time. And with the pain receding she was able to put her leg out before him so he could heal it. "Not broken, but only just…what happened?!" he demanded as she fought for air and felt the paid fade as his hands worked over her. "I don't understand."

"It neutralized magic by removing magic," she explained. "You were more than an old man, Rumple, you were becoming a walking corpse, if you'd made it to that center all your magic would have faded and you would have been dust." She was crying by the time the last words left her mouth. All this time she'd been fighting so that he wouldn't lose her. Now, it seemed, she'd almost lost him. Finished with her leg she reached out and threw her arms around him finding relief as he held her. They couldn't do hasty research like this again for one of these trips. It could have cost them his life and that was not the goal. He'd almost made a widow of her today. She wasn't prepared for that.

All at once, Rumpelstiltskin pulled away from her. In the low light she could only just see the terror and panic in his eyes. "Belle…if my magic reversed…we need to get out of this cave and check on Gideon!" She allowed him to pull her to her feet before her mind had time to process what was happening but once it did…

She thought back and tried desperately to think about what it might mean for Rumple's magic to have been reversed. First on her mind was injury, what Rumpled healed on their son that might rear its ugly head as her shoulder and ankle had?

Nothing.

In all this time she couldn't think of a single thing that Rumple had healed on Gideon. In fact, all the time he'd been in Storybrooke, every time he'd skinned his knee and Rumple volunteered to fix it she'd held him back, saying he'd be fine. She wanted him not to use magic for such a thing.

Next she thought back through her son's life, thinking of anything Rumple might have done to Gideon to keep him from the truth of the Black Fairy or to alter his memories, but by the time Rumple had gotten her back to the horses she'd come to the same shocking and optimistic conclusion.

Nothing.

They'd discussed it several times in his life, but Rumple had always told her it was too late!

Was it possible that he'd never had to use his magic with Gideon? Not once in fifteen years? The probability of that seemed outstanding and yet it was growing likely her by the second.

He used a magic bean to bring them back to the wood outside their cottage, a precaution so that the fact they had magic beans remained secret. Optimistic or not they both bolted into their house, desperate to confirm that Gideon was alright and nothing had happened to him.

"Gideon!" they called into the dark space.

"Mother! Father!"

There was a struggle of some kind as Gideon's voice had gone up two octaves. A lamp, the soul source of light in the house was knocked over and they were truly plunged into darkness only to have the oil from the lamp Gideon had been using spill and erupt into flames that cast the room into strange shadows. There was a screech of surprise from a female voice that wasn't her own and a moment later, after Rumple had reached out his hand, the flames died, leaving only the burned wood and the mess that the shattered lamp had made behind. After adjusting her eyes to the darkness and then turning to light more lamps and turn on the powered ones they owned, she was finally able to take in the scene before her.

Gideon wasn't hurt, but the top buttons of the shirt he'd been wearing were undone and there on the couch laying in a very vulnerable position was the source of the female scream. The farrier's daughter. The laces on the bodice she wore were loosened and the shirt she wore beneath it was askew. Suspecting her gaze and inspection, the girl quickly reached out for it and pulled it tighter over her chest.

"W-we…we were just talking," Gideon stammered out. It was only then that she realized that their lips were wet and red. "It's just-"

It was no use, was what it was. She and Rumple were very aware of what they'd walked in on and while she was happy to see Gideon was unharmed, she was shocked by was had actually been about to happen. Her boy, her baby boy who had never lied to her in all his life! He'd attempted to do just that now and so much more if they hadn't come home early.

The blood was rushing through her ears, and she hardly heard Rumple's request of her to take the girl home to her parents. She stumbled as she approached her, as she offered her a blanket before taking her into their bedroom to straighten her clothes out before they left for home.

They were both quiet on their walk, both from shock, she assumed. Not only had she not expected her son to be doing… _that!_ But she was fairly certain the girl hadn't been expecting they'd be caught. It was awkward. Her mind raced the entire five minutes, wondering what she should tell the girl. Disapproving as she was of the situation she didn't want it to scar the poor girl the way she had been scarred in her life. She didn't want her to think that it was entirely wrong either, she just wanted her to understand. Though at thirteen she knows the girl will be legally eligable for marriage in a couple of years in this land. Telling her to wait until marriage seemed hypocritical considering what she and her love had done before their marriage and yet…what if she just told her to wait a few more years? What if she told her to stay away from her son? What if she told her that it wasn't right?

"You're not going to tell my parents, are you?" the girl finally questioned as they suddenly appeared at her doorstep. She'd been so lost in thought she hadn't realized they were already where they were going. Tell her parents? Was she going to? What would happen to her if she didn't? What would happen to her if she did?

"No," she answered uneasily. Though this world was fairly open-minded, she was also aware that her parents might not think the same way she did. And they certainly wouldn't have if Gideon had accidentally gotten her-

She nearly gasped at the thought. It was too terrifying to put words to.

"No, just…just don't try this again," she begged. "Not for a while, not until the time is right."

The girl sighed and looked sadly at the door to her home. "It felt right tonight," she heard her mutter under her breath.

"Obviously it wasn't," she snapped, her reaction too strong to censor. Suddenly she had a lot more questions than she thought she had. About the girl, about the situation, about what had been going on while they weren't watching. It had been a long time since she was a maiden, but she could only remember just how many thoughts she'd had the first time she'd been with Rumple, the thoughts and feelings coursing through her, the fear and anxiety all wrapped up and drowned out by pleasure. She couldn't leave this girl with alone with those emotions. She just couldn't.

"Listen…it's not…it's not 'bad' but…you need to wait for the right time before you do this again otherwise it could turn out much worse than it's supposed to be. When the time is right then it'll be right too."

The girl blinked. "When will we know?"

She wanted to scream "marriage!" at the top of her lungs but couldn't bring herself to do that. She hadn't waited until marriage and yet she knew that timing had been perfect. It could be the same for this girl and even for Gideon, though the very thought of it made her spine tingle. She attempted to offer her a smile. But found it didn't quite make it all the way out considering the situation.

"When the time is right, you'll know."

Back at home the boys were gone. The house was empty and she could only imagine where Rumple had taken him and what they were saying to one another. But she understood that if Rumple had removed him from the home it meant he wanted privacy, to have this conversation without her. As opposed to that as she felt mentally, deep down she rejoiced. The conversation with the girl had been difficult enough and though she wanted to have a part of her son's life, she wasn't quite sure she wanted to be part of this. It was probably far better for Rumple to have this discussion with him than for them both to have it.

Minute by minute she lay there on their bed, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the sounds around her, trying to clear her head of all that had happened today and what could have happened today, pain and shock and terror, all mingled and jumbled together to-

The door slammed, and she scrambled to sit up on the bed as she heard Rumple mutter something about Gideon getting to sleep and Gideon respond with what must have been a good-night, before she heard his feet on the stairs that led up to his bedroom and Rumple finally came into their own room.

"What did you tell him?" she hissed. "I talked to the girl, it doesn't sound like they actually-"

"No," Rumple held up his hand to silence her and sighed suddenly looking very tired. "No, they didn't. From what I understand they  _were_ just talking until one thing led to another and-"

"They weren't talking anymore," she provided solemnly.

Rumple nodded. "It wasn't long after that we arrived." He sat down on the side of the bed, the mattress bobbing up and down with his added weight and he let out another sigh.

"Well…what did you tell him?" she demanded once more. The suspense was making her anxious. She had to know what was going on!

"It's all a blur actually," he answered. "I think I thought of every single cliché I've heard throughout the realms and in the end said all of them no matter how ridiculous I thought they were at the time. It was a bit nerve wracking to be honest."

She knew the feeling and yet was baffled by the fact that it had come from him. They'd had many discussions about this over the years, dreading the day that she knew they'd have to have this conversation with Gideon and wondering how it would go. It had finally come and she wasn't prepared for it but him?!

"But you've had this conversation before, haven't you? With Bae?"

"No," he admitted removing his boots. "Bae was gone by fourteen and we were too caught up in the ogre war to truly worry about such things as crushes and girls."

She nodded. So it was new territory for a son, but not for him. "You talked to me about it," she pointed out. "When the first curse broke."

He let out a small chuckle as he began working on his cravat. "What you and I discussed was a very different situation than this. This was…I knew it was coming but I never actually planned for it! It was more of a discussion than 'a talk'."

"So what did you discuss?" she begged. She wanted information. If she wasn't the one to be at this "discussion" she wanted to know what was said. She deserved to know what he'd told her son about such a precious subject.

"Well, women, for one," he muttered removing his vest so that he was left in pants and a shirt before he turned to face her. "We spoke of being respectful. Things are different here than they were in Storybrooke and, modern as they may seem here, if mistakes are made the woman is far more likely to bear the brunt of it."

"I hope that wasn't all you said," she muttered. Gideon was good, but she didn't want him to leave the conversation with the thought that he might get away with it while his partner would be condemned.

"We spoke about responsibility," Rumple assured her. "We spoke about all the things that can happen when you are not responsible, though he didn't really need me to tell him that to be honest. And we talked about timing and the meaning of it all."

"Timing…" she muttered, wondering if it was the same conversation she'd had with the girl. Hopefully his had gone better than her own.

"We talked about being certain you are with the right person and all the things that can happen if you are not. I made sure to mention that responsibility was easier in certain relationships than they were in the heat of the moment. You and Milah may have come up."

She felt her eyes widen and her cheeks redden in embarrassment. "What did you tell him?"

"The truth. I told him that love and lust are tricky and it's very easy for lust to masquerade as love and when it does there is absolutely no meaning to be found in such a hasty act. I also told him that when love does come along, being with that individual is far better than just being in lust, much more meaningful."

She let out a sigh. That didn't sound too bad. It was certainly nothing that was embarrassing.

"I told him that being with Milah might have scratched an itch but being with you was about far more than just a physical feeling."

That was embarrassing.

"Rumple!" she hissed.

"Oddly enough that's the exact same shade of red Gideon turned when I mentioned it."

"Well of course it is!" As far as she was concerned their conversation should have stayed on Gideon, he had no need to know about their sex life!

She collapsed back against the bed and covered her face with her hands. She could feel the heat in her cheeks. How was her son ever to look at her again?

"I'd declare it a hundred times over!" Rumple pointed out. "I've told you before I'd much rather him know his parents enjoyed the process of making him than have him think we were ashamed."

"Yes, but did you have to say it that way?" If her mother had ever used phrases like that to talk about her father…she shivered, suddenly glad they hadn't had any of those conversations. Perhaps books were a better way of learning about all this.

"I didn't. I believe the phrase I used was-"

"Stop!" she demanded launching out of the bed and toward the dresser. "Stop there, I don't need to hear it."

It was awkward enough all on its own, hearing it word for word might only make it worse. Maybe being in the dark on their discussion was much better. She trusted her husband, trusted who he was and that he'd have Gideon's best interests at heart. What more did she need to know?

And yet the reflection that met her eyes in the mirror suddenly stunned her in a way it hadn't in years. Especially when Rumple came up behind her, moved his arms to cover her own and encircle her body so that he could kiss her neck. It was an ordinary movement, intimate and something he did all the time in private and in front of their son and yet watching it in the mirror made her wonder for the first time how Gideon saw it through his eyes. How was he going to see it after tonight?

"How is he ever supposed to look at us again?" she wondered aloud. Was this the point in his life that he ceased to see them as his parents and saw them as a unit? Lovers? Friends? Could he see all of it at once or would one thought stick out more than others?

"He'll get over it," Rumple muttered in her ear, looking back at her through the mirror. "He'll be embarrassed for a few days, but he'll come around eventually."

Unable to bear the reflection anymore she turned in his arms, so she could put her arms around his neck. "Do you think so?" she wondered.

He nodded. "I do." Then he leaned down and kissed her gently until all the worries of the day, until the situation they'd walked in on disappeared and they were together again, alone in their bedroom. Not friends, or parents, or wanderers, just lovers. Just as they always were in this place.

"Do you know what day it is?" she finally murmured when she broke the kiss to bury her nose in his shirt.

She let out a snort, thinking, perhaps, of a hundred different answers to that question. The day they'd failed to break his curse again? The day their son had almost lost his virginity? The day all the blood rushed to her face and she died of embarrassment?

"What?" she questioned looking back up at him.

"Today is our fifteen year anniversary."

She felt a smirk grow on her face. "Is it really?"

He nodded and loosened his grip on her waist. "It is. If found this at a little marketplace we were at and I thought, since fifteen years is a year of crystal…" From some unknown place he produced a stunning crystal necklace, held on a silver chain, the image of a rose was etched clearly into its opaque surface. She beamed.

"Rumple…it's lovely!"

"Do you like it then?"

"It's wonderful!" He spun her back around and she held her hair up for him as he secured it around her neck and she admired it in the mirror. It would be beautiful when the sun was up and she wasn't examining it in the dark, but even in the low-light, it she adored it. Small and delicate, it was just right for their fifteen years.

"Fifteen years…" she repeated, finding it hard to believe that much time had passed since they'd stood together and made those vows. After a rough first year, they'd had a picture-perfect marriage. So much so that fifteen years seemed to have passed in no time at all. And maybe it hadn't.

"Maybe…maybe not…time moves differently back home, and with all this jumping around we've been doing…we can have no idea how much time has truly passed."

He applied pressure to her hips, forcing her to look back at him. "It's fifteen years to me. A record."

She smirked. "What record?"

He averted his eyes and smiled almost as though he was shy. It was an odd thing to see on his face. "It means I've lived with you longer than I've ever lived with anyone in my life," he finally admitted. "I lived with my father for eight years, Bae for fourteen, but I've lived with you the longest. Fifteen long years and I'll give you fifty more if I can."

She smiled, and suddenly her blush had nothing to do with embarrassment. "I'm going to hold you to that," she whispered. "I love you, Rumpelstiltskin."

"And I love you."

Their conversation was ended with a kiss that grew into more than one and then into more than just kissing. When they lay together afterwards, she cradled his head on her shoulder and he let his thumb graze over the swell of her breast.

"With the right person, this becomes an entirely different act," she heard him mutter lightly. Her lazy smile stretched wide before she turned her lips into his scalp and kissed the top of his head before closing her eyes once more and going back to that place of rest by his side.

She agreed. She had nothing to compare it to, not in the way that he did, but she agreed that it was different, better with the right individual. Odd and even as uncomfortable as it was for her to think about, a moment like this was all that she dreamed of for Gideon. Someone to love him, someone he could love in return and share in this same warmth with.

Beside her Rumple let out a sigh and gripped her tighter, burrowing closer to her so that she knew sleep would come soon. It was an odd thing, for them to fall asleep with her holding him instead of the other way around, but one she rejoiced in when it came around. In the pale blue light coming in through their window the necklace resting just below her collarbone winked, a friendly reminder of the years gone by and those still to come. Who knew how much longer they had for times like these? If she was honest, she'd already begun to feel the swell of age cresting at certain parts of her body. Her knee ached on occasion. The gray in her hair was becoming more prevalent, and she began to wonder if they'd know when her body was physically older than his own. She let her own grip tighten on him and pressed a kiss over his hair once more. If they didn't find the solution they sought, how much longer would they have for moments like this? How long would her body hold up? How long until sex was uncomfortable and then impossible?

The wave of fear was followed by one of relief as the words "I love you, Belle" reached her ears. He hadn't even been looking at her? It was almost as though he'd sensed that she needed to hear them. She hadn't even known she needed them, but she did. They were a gentle reassurance. When her body betrayed her, after sex was uncomfortable, and when it was impossible, she knew very surely nothing would change. He would still love her just as much in that future as he loved her today and even more. They'd find new ways to share their bond, and leave the lovemaking to the young.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I don't know where to start or what excuses to make for this chapter other than to say that I felt it was important and I didn't want it to end up in Exile. Part of it does, obviously, end up in Exile, but I incorporated a lot more of that into this chapter than I originally had planned. It just seemed to be an important representation of the generations passing. As one generation is being to grow older and explore what that looks like for their relationship another generation is growing up and beginning to explore what that will look like for their relationships. And frankly, I liked the fact that both generations were given the opportunity to acknowledge where one another are at. Gideon knows that his parents are in love, he knows they're a unit, but has he ever really had that opportunity to look at them as more than that? Maybe? Probably. But has he done it on this level? No probably not. Thirteen/fourteen is about when teenagers start to consider that sort of thing. And likewise, Gideon's parents know that he's growing up. But were they aware before that this was part of it? Not really. Sure they knew it was coming but now they are confronted with "hey, it's not coming anymore, it's here." This chapter kind of leads the way for the parting of the ways. It opens the door for Gideon to have separation, a life, and love outside of his parents, as all children must. And it leads to Rumple and Belle bonding in a way that acknowledges they will eventually go back to being a couple again outside of Gideon.
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you Nicksmom and Goldenspinner1953 for your comments! So...just one other little interesting thing about this chapter that I want to own up to right away. The Year of the Crystal...Rumple says that he's spent 15 years with Belle and that's the longest he's ever lived with anyone. Here's the thing I have 2.25 of the Chronicles completed and I know that's not true. In the story I have worked out he's lived with Milah a little longer than that (I promise I will explain when we get there), and still I decided to let this slide because it tells you either one of two things. 1) It might just be that he's not remembering correctly or bad at math. 2) I think it's more likely that he's saying "those 15 years weren't as important as these 15 years" and that he doesn't really consider what happened with Milah "living". So, as we go forward and if you are planning on joining me for the first of the Chronicles know that there are some contradictions. I know it, I'm okay with it. I'll explain it. Peace and Happy Reading!


	32. Growing Up and Moving Out

They were going to find an answer and soon. She had a feeling that he was right. But everyone's definition of "soon" was different. For the last two and a half years they'd toiled, exploring every nook and cranny they possibly could in the Academy library. For the last two and a half years they'd chased down every lead they found, celebrated birthday after birthday with Gideon, gotten to know Ellen, the farriers daughter to the point she was beginning to feel like a daughter. And after these last two and a half years they'd started to form a schedule that told her they were beginning to truly settle down again for the first time since they'd lived in Storybrooke and she hadn't realized just how much she'd missed that until it was back in their lives again. In two and a half years they'd read dozens of books, taken hundreds of pages of notes, made charts, graphs, and timelines to the best of their ability! But it still hadn't been enough.

Then, two weeks ago she'd finally managed to gain access to a part of the library she hadn't known existed and she felt for the first time that an answer might be waiting.

"The Prophecy Room, Madam," Timothy, the librarian she'd become friends with since their time there, stated as he pushed open a door and led her into a room the size of their bedroom filled with cubby after cubby of dusty scrolls, books, pages, and even stones with ruins on them. It was different than the rest of the library, which was polished and kept immaculately cleaned. This room had cobwebs dripping from it and smelled as though it was forgotten. "It is here that we store all tales of the future until they become fact and not myth."

"Why haven't I seen this before?"

"This part of the library is kept off-limits to the public, open only to Academy Professors."

"Well…why are you showing it to me then?" she questioned picking up a scroll and looking through it. Fairy language. Very old fairy language, but translatable if she had some time.

Timothy's eyes had shimmered knowingly. "I have a feeling the knowledge you seek isn't to be found in books, Madam. And when all knowledge of past and present fails us, then the time has come to take a leap into the future. You must keep moving forward, you must learn what is untaught, and these might help you do that."

It made perfect sense to her if only because there was no sense to it at all. It wouldn't be the first time they encountered prophecies about the Dark One; maybe it was time to use it to their advantage. Together they made their way through the prophecies in the room, one by one. They sorted first through all the prophecies that were easy to read, the ones written in languages that they were fluent in. When nothing seemed truly promising they began their work on the difficult ones, languages that they didn't read well, and languages they couldn't read at all.

Rumple, given his ability to speak more languages with far more experience than herself, spent a lot of time reading them, while her talents were used to locate and translate those languages that they couldn't speak. It was a painstaking task and a slow one, but their resolve was strong. Little by little they went through the prophecies. Their days were spent in the library until Timothy began to kindly turn an eye to them taking the scrolls out of their room and working on them from the comfort of their own home. She felt no guilt about it. With the amount of dust in that room, she knew they were the only visitors interested in them in years.

"Nothing!" Rumple declared quietly from his place at the dinner table. His word was enough to get her to set aside the ladle she was using to test the soup she was working on for dinner. "It's just a generic prophecy about Dark magic in a faraway realm coming to an end. It could be anything."

"But nothing for us?"

He shook his head as he rose and rolled the scroll back up, tying it once more with the tough string it had been wrapped in. "No, not that I believe."

She sighed as he put the scroll away and made a mental note as to where he placed it. The next time he left the house she'd look at it herself. She recognized the look on his face now, the way his shoulders slumped and his eyes were dark…he was feeling defeated. It happened every so often in this journey, to both of them, and she knew that when he was feeling that way it could color the way he conducted his research. In despair, it was difficult to see hope, and he could overlook something essential all too easily. But she'd meant what she'd promised years ago, when he was like this it was her job to double check his work, to hold him up until he could stand on his own again.

"Well there is always next time," she smiled. "Plenty more prophecies where that came from. We'll find something, Rumple. We will." He nodded, but there was little faith behind it. She watched as he took plates and began to lay them out on the table to prepare for dinner quietly. "I'll take it back tomorrow and keep translating the ones I'm working on," she promised, desperate to spur him on to anything.

"I don't suppose you've found mention of a Guardian or a Protector in any of those prophecies?" he questioned finding silverware.

She felt her eyebrows knit together in confusion. She'd been hoping to get a rise out of them, but that was far different than what she expected.

"No…Rumple, I thought we'd done away with the idea of that old river!" In fact, she had hardly thought about what he said about it for years! That was the last thing she expected to hear. And the last thing she wanted to hear about it from him was silence. Not responding to something as spontaneous as that comment had been wasn't good. "Rumple…what aren't you telling me?"

"It's not that I'm not telling you, Belle," he finally answered striding back over to her. "I will. Just…when the time is right." Over their shoulders, the door slammed, and amid the footsteps, she heard the quiet conversation and laughter from Gideon and Ellen. Rumple glanced at it over his shoulder before turning back to her and kissing her cheek. "Now isn't the time," he whispered before turning back to the children and greeting them. With just that small reassurance she felt her own spirits lift. She trusted him, after all these years it was impossible not to trust him and she knew without a doubt that he would keep his word. One day he would tell her. But only when the time was right. It wasn't as if she wasn't carrying her own secret suspicions all these years...

Since the day that they'd caught the pair of them, they hadn't stumbled upon Gideon and Ellen in the midst of anything scandalous, but somehow when she thought of it she knew that a "yet" was certainly necessary at the end of that sentence. They'd been seeing each other faithfully for two years, and she had the feeling that they would be seeing one another for years to come. So though she worried about it, she and Rumple had talked about it and come to the decision that they couldn't stop them from doing what would one day come naturally. So long as they were private and discreet and careful it was their decision and their consequences to live with should they arise.

In the meantime, they enjoyed Ellen. She was friendly and polite, mature for her age. She matched her son well, pushed him when he got to be too cocky, and soothed him when he was frustrated. For everything that Ellen did for her son, she was eternally grateful and what she felt when she watched her son with this woman gave her the warmest feeling. Her baby was a man. He resembled closely the man she'd once met in Storybrooke under the worst of circumstances but was more relaxed and certainly happier. He was respectful of his new girlfriend, which meant just as much to her as his doting did to Ellen. It was a good sturdy relationship. And she couldn't be prouder when she watched them do homework together on their dining room table.

"I have to go," Ellen stated one afternoon after they'd brought her strawberries. "My parents are waiting, and I promised I'd have dinner alone with them tonight."

She turned her eyes as Gideon kissed Ellen, granting them their privacy, and resisted the urge to laugh. Gideon and Ellen were together morning to night. When they weren't at their house, they were at Ellen's house. Her parents were good to Gideon, and it wasn't abnormal for Gideon to eat dinner there. What was abnormal was having Gideon eat dinner with them, without Ellen. When Rumple got back from the market, he'd be shocked.

"Bye Mrs. Gold!" Ellen finally called. "Thanks for having me! Enjoy the strawberries!"

"You know you are always welcome Ellen. Give your parents our best!"

She waved good-bye, and a few seconds later she heard the door close. Her son walked back around the wall then and casually leaned over the kitchen counter to pluck out some of the strawberries they'd picked for her. His smile was radiant as he watched her move about the kitchen preparing dinner for the three of them. His staring made the back of her neck itch, and though she tried to ignore it, she soon realized that there was a reason he wasn't leaving.

"What?" she chuckled.

Gideon stood up a little straighter. "I want to talk to you about something."

She glared at him as her stomach turned over and her skin began to tingle in panic. "Gideon, if the word 'marriage' is about to come out of your mouth-"

"No! Nothing like that!" he denied laughing back. "Though it's nice to see where your mind's gone!"

Gideon thought it was funny. She was relieved to hear it. He and Ellen were getting along, but they were not ready for marriage and frankly she wasn't either. But whatever he wanted to talk to her about must have been serious. Gideon never asked if he could talk to her about anything, he just talked. The fact that he'd felt the urge to introduce a conversation told her it was an important one, marriage or not.

With a sigh, she set her cooking utensils aside and stood in front of him on the other side of the counter. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

Gideon shifted his weight. "My future," he admitted.

Her stomach didn't flip this time, but she had to cross her arms to keep the chills away. "So far this isn't sounding any better than 'marriage'."

"It's about my education," he finally confessed. "You know I only have one more year that I can attend school here in the village."

"A year and a half," she corrected. She aware of just how much time had passed and how much more there was to come. "Are you…are you thinking about education beyond what the village offers?"

"Isn't everyone around here?"

Yes. Education was something wildly valued around here. Those who wanted to go into trades became apprentice tradesmen until their twentieth birthday when they could legally do it themselves. Some women married young, right out of school. But most of the students went to a university to continue their education. Gideon didn't seem to be interested in apprenticing for a trade, and if they weren't thinking about marriage, then there was only one option left. But as much as Gideon loved school she'd never considered further education. Somehow it always seemed years away and frankly, going to school seemed like he would have assimilated completely to this world, tying himself down to this world when she and Rumple were still searching. She wasn't sure she was ready for what was going to come out of his mouth. Suddenly saying "marriage" didn't seem so terrifying.

"I'd like to apply to the Academy, Elphaine Academy."

She watched him skeptically for a moment. It wasn't that wanting to further his education was unlike Gideon; she just wasn't sure that Gideon's motivations were entirely in the right place, especially when the Academy was only about an hour from their home.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Ellen, does it? With her plans?" she questioned. Afterall, she hadn't ever thought about further education for Gideon, but Ellen had made her plans clear almost from day one. Was it just a coincidence that now her son had the same plans?

"So what if it does?" Gideon asked back. "She's a year behind me of course, but she's planning on going there to school after she finishes. She wants to study Literature of Warring Realms. I'd think you of all people would appreciate that."

"I do, Gideon," she argued. It was a noble choice, an interesting choice that she probably would have considered for herself once upon a time but Gideon had never expressed interest in that. She didn't want him to give up his hopes and dreams just because of a girl. "But is that really what you want to study? Literature of Waring Realms?"

"Of course not," he said making a disgusted face. "I want to study Magic; they have an excellent program for magic and those who possess it at Elphaine Academy. I don't always want to do everything that Ellen wants to do."

"Mmm," she had her doubts about that. As she did about his sudden interest in school. Studying magic was something that would interest him, but she wasn't convinced that Ellen wasn't one of the primary reasons he wanted to do it. Why hadn't he expressed something like this before? She and Rumple had always supported him in everything he did, why was he so timid about discussing something like this with her all of a sudden? Did he think they wouldn't support him? Or was he truly not sure about it himself?

"So why all the secrecy? Did you think I wouldn't want you to go?"

"It's not really that, it's…"

But Gideon went silent and suddenly looked down at the table avoiding her gaze so that she worried even more. What was her son thinking?

"Gideon, what?"

Gideon swallowed then looked up at her with guilt in his eyes. Suddenly she realized that this hadn't been a singular conversation; there were many parts, different facets, to it. The first bit hadn't really been what made him nervous, it was whatever he was about to say to her now.

"Gideon?"

"The Academy…they have buildings dedicated to dormitories for new students and they are open to any students at the Academy, whether they live far away or…close by."

She tried to hold her heart together, to not let the emotions she was feeling inside show on her face as she realized this conversation wasn't about Gideon going to school, it was about Gideon leaving.

"You want to move into the Academy." She felt as though she couldn't catch her breath. She'd always known that something like this might happen, was bound to happen, at some point, she just couldn't remember when "someday" had come so fast?! Yesterday Gideon was a bright-eyed little boy exploring the woods with Neal, today…

Today he stood before her not a boy but a man. Tall and happy, well mannered, funny, kind, and loving. He was only asking to do what every child was eventually supposed to do if they were raised right, to leave. To be a child no more and discover who he was as an adult. To be a man and love a woman, to find who he could be without his parent's supervision, to make choices good and bad, and to learn all he could about the world and the gifts inside of him. It had come a lot sooner than she felt it should have and sad as it made her to think of the day when her baby wasn't under her roof it also gave her an immense amount of pleasure to see the work that she and Rumple had begun turn out so well, exactly the way it should. She was happy and sad, mournful and celebratory, excited for it and dreading it all at the same time.

"I've been with you and Papa since I was born, I love you both but…I want to live there, with the other students."

"And you worried I'd say 'no'?"

"Not exactly," he denied again. "I worried you'd be upset."

She sighed and stepped closer to him, fighting the urge to reach out and hold him tight in her arms as she had when he was a young boy, and she'd shielded him from his nightmares with just a hug.

"Gideon…what would there be to be upset about?"

"Well…we haven't broken Father's curse yet," he answered. "I figured you might still need me to help. And I still will! I'll be at the Academy just over the hill. I can be here whenever you need me."

"Gideon!" she shouted reaching out to grab him. Maybe she hadn't done a perfect job raising him. All those years ago when she told him that he could help them on their journey it had been for him, but it wasn't now, it wasn't his destiny like it was hers. "I'm not upset. I can't be. You are doing exactly what you are supposed to do. Going to the Academy, living on your own, that's just part of growing up."

"But Father-"

"Your Father's curse has always been our burden to bear!" she insisted. "It was never anything that was meant for you like it was meant for us. We've welcomed your help, but what your father and I want for you is to live your life. You will go to school, and your father and I will discover how to break the curse."

Gideon let out a small snort and smirked. "As a child, you always told me that I was important to the quest. Don't tell me that was just as true as Santa Claus."

"Gideon!" she reached up and touched her son's cheek so that he'd look at her and not around the room. "You have been important to this search. And you will continue to be important to it as long as you want to be. But you are ready to do more. Your father and I can take it from this point and you…you will always be important to us, the most important thing to us. How could you ever think otherwise?"

He shook his head, and she was grateful when he was the one that broke and leaned his body forward to hug her first. "I know, Mother," he whispered in her ear. "You will always be the most important thing in my life too."

She pressed her face into his shoulder, purposefully drying her tears on his shoulder so that he wouldn't see her crying. He'd never lied to her before. He wasn't aware that he'd done it and at the moment he probably hadn't, but she knew that one day those words would no longer be true and that was alright.

"Not always!" she insisted pulling away from him. "And one day that will be just fine too. When do you apply?" Before he could utter anything else that would truly make her cry she felt it was important to move on and talk about logistics. Gideon was, for lack of better term, going to college! There would be details to sort out, dates to adhere to, and money to be paid. They had to start preparing.

"As early as a few months from now," he answered as she went back to washing the dishes, hoping it would ease her thoughts. "It's very competitive."

"Your marks are high and always have been. I don't imagine you'll have trouble getting in."

"That's what Ellen said; she thinks it's a wonderful idea, us being there together."

"Ellen's a smart girl," she muttered. She wasn't sure how she felt about the two of them being there together, but she was right that it was wonderful for Gideon. Suddenly she had the urge to make sure those dormitories were separated by gender. "We should tell your father tonight when he gets home from the market. We'll do it over dinner. He'll be happy…Gideon?"

Her son had started to look guilty again and had begun looking everywhere in the room but at her, a trait that he got from his father when he was trying to avoid a subject. What on earth had she stumbled upon now?

"I'm not sure I want anyone besides you to know yet. You and Ellen."

In other words, he didn't want to tell his father yet. "Why?" she questioned stepping away from the wash again. "You don't think your father will support you? Gideon, your father-"

"It's not that, it's just…I think I just want to be accepted before I tell father."

Yes, that she understood, but she wasn't able to understand why he didn't want to tell his father before he was accepted. "I just want to understand, Gideon."

"I know that you and Ellen think the Academy will accept me, but-"

"They will accept you, Gideon. There's no reason they wouldn't."

"But just in case they don't…I'd like to keep it between us."

Now she felt her stomach twist uncomfortably. He was so like his father, so like Rumple who doubted even what he knew to be true, even when those he loved swore to it. But it was what he was now asking her to do that made her uncomfortable. In all their years Rumpelstiltskin wasn't just her husband or her lover or even her partner, he'd become her best friend in this long journey. How was she going to keep this bottled up from him? He could read her like an open book!

"Your father and I don't keep secrets."

"This isn't a secret!" Gideon insisted. "This will be a surprise. Think about how pleased he'll be when I tell him I've been accepted."

"Your father will be pleased no matter what."

"I know that, just…please, Mother? Mama? Just for now?"

She smirked. She couldn't remember the last time he'd called her "Mama". Suddenly she was grateful for it. She didn't know how pliable she was with just that word.

The front door opened and closed, and they heard the footsteps that they both knew belonged to Rumpelstiltskin. Gideon's eyes went wide as he watched her, waiting for an answer. "Just for now," she hissed under her breath as her husband walked into the room with a bundle of apples in one hand and a sack of flour in the other.

He kissed her on the cheek and looked between the pair of them. "No Ellen? Is everything alright?"

Gideon looked to her again, as if uncertain about what to say or do, he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Believe it or not she promised her family that she would dine with them tonight and we would dine with our son for once."

Rumpled snorted. "There's an oddity if I've ever heard one," he muttered as he left the room to collect more from the cart. Gideon followed him out and helped him unload the goods he'd bought for them at the market as her mind processed all that had happened, all this would mean for their family and for Gideon. She lost herself in memories. Gideon's first birthday. The first time he'd called her "Mama". His first steps. The time that Gideon had found a dead toad and they'd had to bury it in the garden because he felt bad. The moment she first noticed her son was taller than her. The joy of holding her son in her arms for the first time, even through the sorrow. The image of her son's face, in what would be ten years from now, the fear and torment she'd seen on that face when she first saw him and compared to the dream he was now. It was much better than what the Black Fairy created. Considering where she and Rumple had been when he'd been born...it was amazing they'd come so far and done so well.

"Mother?"

She jumped out of her skin when she realized Gideon was back in the room, his hand on her shoulder as she stared blankly ahead.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Father's taking care of the horses…are you alright?"

She nodded and looked around the kitchen at all that needed put away and all there was left to do before dinner. "Just thinking…"

Gideon took a step back and looked her over nervously. "Are you about to get emotional?"

She glared at her son, shocked at his forwardness and how he made it sound almost silly. "Yes," she smiled defiantly. "As a matter of fact, I am. I'm your mother, I'm allowed to be emotional over you every once and a while."

"Yes but…all because I may be going off to school?" he finally questioned quietly, keeping his voice low as if Rumple could hear him out in the stables.

She only shook her head. It wasn't because he was going to school. Not entirely. "Well, it's that…and…I think your father and I have done well with you," she admitted with a proud smile, looking her boy over happily.

Gideon smiled back at her before leaning down and kissing her cheek just as his father had.

"No one could have done better."

"No…I'm certain of that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Gideon is going to school! I mean, we all knew that it had to happen eventually but it was fun to write a chapter about why Belle might have known about it and Rumple didn't, especially since we've spent so much time in this fiction talking about how they don't lie to each other! This is such a happy chapter for me. I feel like when I wrote/read it I could just feel the sun shining in over him and that was such a wonderful contrast to the season six Gideon who dressed in black and was so broken. And I felt like that was a thought that would have occurred to Belle as well and that this was a good place to sort of leave the Black Fairy behind. I've stated in earlier chapters why I didn't have Belle and Rumple tell him about the Black Fairy, but I felt like in this chapter there is a resolution of sorts with Belle coming to the conclusion that he is a different person entirely. At this point, though she doesn't state it, it's at a point where telling him would be silly for no reason. His nightmares are gone, his life is different, he loves his parents, there's a feeling that he's focused on this life and she is letting her guilt of what happened go.
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. I'm oh so happy that you enjoyed it, even through some of the awkwardness! At this point we are entering the last chapters of section four, in a short while we'll be moving on to section five, where the chapters become shorter and sweeter, but no less meaningful than what has been created thus far. But first...some more happy and sad chapters! Peace and Happy Reading!


	33. Surprises Revealed

There was a reason that she didn't like to keep secrets from Rumpelstiltskin. It was because he knew when she was keeping secrets. It was only a few hours after Gideon had announced his intentions to attend school to her, as they were preparing for bed and she couldn't stop smiling that she caught a glimpse of him scrutinizing her in the mirror.

"What's gotten into you?" he questioned removing his boots. "You've been smiling all evening."

She could have denied it. She could have told him it was nothing or that she smiled all the time, but she was nearly bursting to tell him what she knew. And while she'd promised Gideon that she wouldn't tell him what the secret was, she hadn't promised to deny the existence of one either.

"I promised I wouldn't tell you," she explained with a small giggle, letting him know that it certainly wasn't a bad thing.

Rumple's brows furrowed immediately as he continued to watch her remove her jewelry through the mirror. "Gideon?"

She nodded. No sense in denying that bit either, especially since there were very few people in this family he could choose from.

"She's not pregnant, is she?"

"No!" she laughed spinning around quickly. Funny how her mind had gone to marriage while his had gone to children. It was odd what they considered "trouble" to be. No, of course not, Rumple! It's nothing like that but…" she stepped closer to the bed and ran her fingers over his shoulders and into the hair at the back of his head. Even in the moonlight, she could see his eyes staring up at her, fearful and begging for answers. "I did promise that I'd let him surprise you when he was ready."

"You can tell me, and I'll still act surprised."

She let out a chuckle and leaned down to kiss him before sitting beside him on the bed. "Nice try, but you'll have to wait until Gideon is ready for this one."

She watched as he gave a slow nod, but was still lost in thought. She could practically see his mind evaluating, going through every possible scenario, thinking through what the surprise could be and listing all of them according to probability. If Gideon took too long, she had no doubt he'd eventually put it together himself, and while she'd promised not to tell him, she also wouldn't lie. If he figured it out and asked her, she'd tell him in a heartbeat.

"Rumple…"

"A surprise…surprises are good things," he muttered.

She smiled wide once more. Leave it to him to think of all the ways that a surprise might be dreadful.

"Usually, yes, surprises are considered good things."

"Usually…" The word had snapped is head back over to him, all the fear returning too quickly. "Will I be happy?"

She bit her lip, only to keep from laughing and moved back across the bed to put her knees on either side of his hips and sit comfortably in his lap.

"You should be very happy, yes," she finally answered before enveloping him in a kiss. As their embraces deepened that night, she silently prayed that Gideon wouldn't keep his father too long in the dark…she could only distract him for so long.

Still, months passed, the time for Gideon to apply to the school arrived, and she began to feel like a spy, skilled in espionage and sleight of hand, as Gideon continuously brought essays and applications and papers to her so that she would read them over and make them perfect. Every time she urged him to tell his father, just to give him a small hint of what was going on for she knew that he could sense something happening behind his back, and once even caught him examining Ellen's figure as if trying to decide if she might be pregnant.

For months she kept the secret, for months she encouraged Gideon to tell his father, for months she waited with her son until he finally ran into the library's prophecy room one afternoon, informing her that he'd been accepted to the Academy to study Sorcery. She was so proud she was certain that she might burst if Gideon didn't tell his father that night! And then she got distracted. She continued her work, continued to talk to Gideon about how he wanted to tell Rumple and when he was due at school and what came next, but when she laid eyes on a piece of paper, new and folded instead of old and rolled, sitting in amongst the scrolls, his voice began to fade. Looking it over she was aware of the fact that her son was still talking, but his words were lost to the ones that stood out on the piece of paper before her.

No, she couldn't read it, but it wasn't entirely gibberish to her either. The language wasn't one that she could read easily, it would take work and time, but she could pick out a few keywords in the text that made her shiver. "Dark One", "Fairy", "Merlin", and most frightening of all…

"Nimue!" she breathed. She hadn't heard that name in decades. Frankly, she hadn't thought about that name in decades, not since before Gideon was conceived! But…this paper clearly wasn't a prophecy, it wasn't old nor was it written on a scroll, it had just been shoved in amongst them almost like trash! And yet the chances she would find this, and it would have nothing at all to do with her husband…

"Mother?"

Gideon's voice, his face came back into detail as he placed a hand at her back and looked over her shoulder at what she was holding.

"What's that? Something important?"

She shrugged as she looked it over once more. "Yes…maybe…I'm…I'm not sure yet…um…Gideon, go and get your things, we need to head home and get to work on dinner. I'll look this over at home."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, everything's fine. Get your things."

"And…what about father?"

As soon as she folded the piece of paper back up again, her memories of their conversation came back, and she sighed in defeat. "I won't pretend I understand your reluctance to tell him about school, he will be happy for you, but I promised I would let you tell him in your own time and anything short of your father guessing what you are keeping from him and asking me if I know about it, I will keep that promise I made to you."

"I just want to tell him when the time is right. I don't want him to feel like he's losing another son."

A sad smile bloomed over her face as she stared up at her boy. His intentions were good and even understandable. Neal had never been a secret in their family, and she was glad of that, but she'd never thought it might have this effect on Gideon, that it might make him timid about his decision to leave home. Still, she didn't regret the choices they'd made, and they would cross into this new chapter in their lives as a family, just as they always had. She'd help Gideon through this and tell his father, and she'd help her husband feel not the loss of a child, but the beginning of adulthood.

"He won't feel that," she assured her son. "Now go and get your things and we'll talk about this on the way home."

Gideon did as she ordered and didn't press her any further. Still their child, still under their roof for at least two more months, according to his letter, he simply did as he was told, and the pair of them walked back to their home.

The issue of when Gideon planned on telling Rumple did surface over the next month several times as she tried to convince her son that the perfect time he imagined in his head didn't exist. Rumple wasn't going to say a magic word or line that would convince Gideon the time had come and the longer he held off, and over thought it, the harder it was going to be. He didn't want to tell Rumple after a good day for fear he would turn it into a bad day, and he didn't want to tell him after a bad day for fear he would make it worse. In the end, all she could do was encourage him, hope that her words had an effect, and keep to her work. And what work it was…

Translating what she'd found in that cubby was not easy work. It wasn't exactly a prophecy, but as she translated the tiny writing line by line she came to realize why the paper had been in the prophecy room and why it was written the way it was written. It was a story. Somehow, a young man had ventured into a cave in this world and come out in their world, The Enchanted Forest. Scared, longing for a way to get back to his own world, the man had encountered a beautiful woman who took him to her own home. She cared for him before finally offering to make a deal with him that if she could help him back to his world, he would take her with him and introduce her to…the word wasn't clear, but she assumed it was people in power.

The young man had nearly agreed to the deal when the door to the small cottage had burst open, and fairies had invaded along with a dark-skinned man in a long robe. The woman who been caring for him transformed before their eyes into a grotesque creature, and the man was so shocked he fainted and woke hours later, in a strange tower surrounded by fairies and the same dark-skinned man. He introduced himself as Merlin and apologized for not getting to the man faster. The fairies had made him aware that someone from another realm had arrived almost too late.

The man went on to detail the conversation he'd had with Merlin, about Nimue, who he simply called The Dark One, about what she was and how she sought to spread terror without his hindrance, for he and his apprentice had been working to stop her for quite some time. Merlin promised to open a portal which would return the man to the realm he'd come from so he could leave all of this behind. But the man had been taken with the beautiful woman he'd seen and as the pair walked had asked Merlin if anything could be done to help the woman to free her from her bonds instead of simply stopping her.

"As we walked I saw a sad smile stretch across the face of Merlin. 'The fairies once prophesized that when the Dark One find's eternal love at the suns brightest set, where time stops, the path will appear to where the darkness should rest,' he informed me. I confessed to my companion the hopefulness of such a prophesy, recalling the time I'd spent in the company of such a kind woman hidden beneath her outer ugliness I pondered if I could help, if I could find the location the prophecy spoke of, destroying the darkness and returning the woman to the light. Merlin expressed his doubt. He informed me that I was not the first to have loved the woman and would not be the last to fall for that darkness. If the prophecy ever came to pass he was certain it would not be in this woman's time. Before my eyes, a portal opened into which I could see my own world. Out of relief and happiness, I was drawn back into it without a second thought for the woman or the sorcerer who called himself Merlin and when I turned back I found he was gone…"

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so many emotions. The man in the story had written it as a warning, for any who might encounter the Dark One, but one-time friendly saviors to him were, in fact, people she'd once considered her friends. Merlin…she could remember him so clearly, his sad smiles and coy looks, the understanding he possessed about things he could never tell them! "I wasn't the first to have loved the woman and would not be the last to fall for that darkness"…Merlin had loved the Dark One too. Though they'd never spoken openly about it before she knew how he'd felt about his beloved Nimue, how he wished for her to be whole again with all his heart, but how his logic had kept him from believing it was possible. "If the prophecy ever came to pass he was certain it would not be in this woman's time." And it hadn't been. But…was it possible it would be in another's time?

"The fairies once prophesized that when the Dark One finds eternal love at the suns brightest set when time stops, the path will appear to where the darkness should rest."

There is was. The reason this paper was in the hall of prophecies. It was one line. No answer just a location to an event that would lead to a path. One that could free her husband! They'd found it at last. The closest thing to an answer since they'd started this journey was staring her in the face! And where was he?!

Oddly enough, he was doing the same. They'd come up here as they did every day to study and she'd worked on the translation. He'd finished, or perhaps simply given up, less than an hour ago when Gideon had gone off to find some books before they left for home, but she'd been so close and kept at the translation to find the greatest of rewards! And he was there. He was staring at her. She didn't even need to pick her eyes up out of the books and paper in front of her to know that he was watching her. She could feel his gaze and the admiration in it and blushed at the thought of confrontation. She'd let him know that she knew he was watching and he'd make up some line or other, about the way the sun caught her hair, or how her skin glowed in the soft light. It amazed her how all these years could pass, and he could make her feel truly beautiful just with a look and no words at all. But it was always nice to be reminded.

"You know you…you could just take a photograph," she smiled. She'd been blushing before she even looked up at him. He was there, staring just as she suspected. His mind had been lost to a look of admiration. No. It didn't get old.

"No need," he smiled back. "I could remember how you look right now forever."

She didn't know it was possible to smile wider and yet at the same time she felt a familiar sense of sadness curling inside of her. Words like that were born as much out of fear as they were romance. A fear that he would have to remember her forever as his curse held him captive and he'd have to go on without her. A fear that, sometimes, she sensed might have been well founded. But if she could prevent it, she would. With this translation, there might be no need to worry. She wasn't completely done with the translation yet but-

As Rumple made his way toward her, they were forced to break their gaze at the sound of quick footsteps shuffling into the room. Gideon had returned it seemed, and he was laden with books, so many of them he could barely hold them all it seemed.

"Mother, Father!"

"Gideon! I appreciate the commitment but maybe just one book at a time," Rumple suggested.

"This isn't about getting rid of the dagger."

She glanced up at her son, her stomach suddenly in knots of excitement that had nothing to do with what she'd just translated. Gideon glanced at her as he set the books aside. Was it now? Was this the time he was finally going to tell him? With barely two weeks until the semester was set to begin, he'd certainly saved it until the last minute! She already knew that if Gideon didn't do it soon, she'd be forced to!

"These books are for me," Gideon smiled at his father looking nervous.

"Well, why do you need so many books?"

She could see a hundred different emotions behind Gideon's expression. He was trying to hold in his smile, shy and eager all at the same time as he stared his father down. His back was straight, and he stood up tall, and that was how she knew without a doubt this was the moment. Whether he'd planned it or just found the courage amidst an ever-looming deadline she wasn't sure, but she knew that he was finally going to tell his father. And she simply couldn't wait to see the expression on her husband's face and the look on her son's when he found out that she'd been right all along about how Rumple would take the news.

"I've been accepted into Elphaine Academy!"

She couldn't help it! She automatically found herself jumping up and down in her seat and clapping her hands as Rumple looked back at her. Every time he said it she felt exuberance at what he'd done. It was wonderful sometimes she couldn't believe that she'd raised her boy so well.

"I'm to start in two weeks."

"Ah, Gideon!" Just as she'd promised he would Rumple was thrilled at the news. He opened in his arms and hugged his son tight. "I'm so proud! Look at you, you're a scholar, just like your mother!"

She rolled her eyes as he pointed back at her. She would hardly call owning a single degree worthy of being called a scholar. And Gideon was more like his father than Rumple knew! He was studying magic! Father and son had more in common than mother and son in this case, and she couldn't wait for all the details to be unveiled so that he could share in seeing exactly what she saw.

"And like Mother, I could always use more books!" Gideon grabbed one from the pile and then quickly went back into the recesses of the library he'd come to know so well to seek his quarry. There was always room for books! But as he left, she watched Rumple's shoulders slump forward. He stared after Gideon, and though she knew the happiness on his face was genuine, she also knew that there was a sense of sadness that came with it. She'd experienced it herself when she first heard the news too! This time he at least had her to help him through it, and she was glad that he hadn't let on until after Gideon had left the room.

"I didn't think he'd be leaving us so soon," she heard him mutter. "Belle, I-I-I'm sorry," he exclaimed suddenly turning back to her. "We were spending all these years, running around, trying to break that damn curse. We should have been raising our boy!"

"But Rumple, we did," she argued. It was odd to see where their minds at gone, how her reaction was that time passed too quickly and she would miss Gideon, but his was once more drawn back to the curse that consistently threatened to consume his life and steal them both from him. The fears were different, and yet related in the same way. They both had the same conclusion. The had raised Gideon. He was a fine young man. It was just time for him to go and be that man. Curse or not this day would have come. And even as they had been running around, she felt they'd done the best job they could, better even than other parents, raising their son.

"We've had Gideon for eighteen amazing years, years filled with life and adventure and…now it's…it's time for him to go and find his own." The thought of it still nearly brought tears to her own eyes. It was sad that he'd be away from her, but it there was happiness too. She was certain that this was the right thing. And she knew when she looked at him, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Gideon would leave the world a better place than he found it. There was nothing of the Black Fairy in him. They had succeeded, she had failed. "He's ready."

"Yeah, but what if I'm not ready."

That was the question, wasn't it? But she was hopeful that what she was working on right now might help to make him ready, or at the very least cheer him up.

"Well…maybe this will help!" She took the paper that she'd been translating and set it aside, close to the empty chair he'd been sitting in earlier.

"What's this?" he questioned, coming forward to read it.

"A gift," she answered as he took his seat. "I ah…I think I've found the answer we've been searching for. Now we can get rid of the dagger, or…at least a guide to that answer. Okay…this scroll describes a fairy prophecy about the Dark One, and it says 'that when the Dark One finds eternal love at the suns brightest set, where time stops, the path will appear to where the darkness should rest.'" She was still a little uncertain on some of the words and of course the details, but this was the closest thing to an answer she had seen in years, nearly a decade. If they could find this spot, then they would be one step closer.

She waited and watched Rumpelstiltskin, anticipating the look on his face when he realized just how close they might be. Instead of joy, or relief, he looked as though all the air had been taken out of his lungs.

"I know where this is!" he proclaimed. "It's called the Edge of Realms!"

Now it was her turn for joy, to feel a smile spread over her face as she reached for his hand and squeezed. Two steps closer!

"Well…then that's where we'll go! The Edge of Realms…"

It didn't sound like anything she'd ever heard of, but she trusted him and his knowledge and his judgment. If this was the place they had to go, then they would go. In a heartbeat! Except…

"But…there's something we must do first!" she whispered, staring at the door Gideon had just come back in through. Rumpelstiltskin followed her gaze to the young man returning with another stack of books in hand, the top one open so that he could read it as he walked, oblivious to the world around him that was going to change drastically in the weeks to come.

She felt Rumple squeeze her hand and when she looked back at him, he offered her a warm and happy smile, the same smile she'd imagined he'd wear ever since Gideon told her the good news.

"I think I know exactly what you mean."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed thinking of ways to bring the prophecy into the story. Ultimately it was the "this scroll describes a fairy prophecy" that gave me a little bit of leeway to create that fun little story about the man and Merlin. In other words, it was not a "prophecy" it was just something that described a prophecy and there was a lot of freedom in that. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 for your comment on the last chapter. I hope you'll enjoy this one just as much as I do. I had a lot of fun with these chapters recalling the days that Gideon was younger and there was nothing but hope before them as to what he could be. The end of this chapter was a fun little recall to one of the first chapters in this fiction. Before they agreed to go on their first trip, when Belle needed to be convinced, Rumple asked what they were waiting for and she explained there was something they needed to do first. Then, it was Gideon's first birthday. Now, it's time to send their boy away. But I like their take on it. I like that they are equally ready to let him go live his life and they are ready to go and finish theirs. I hope it's something you'll enjoy too. Peace and Happy Reading!


	34. Every Ending Brings a New Beginning

No matter what they'd found in that scroll, no matter how much they wanted to take off and pursue it, they weren't going to go. They agreed, they couldn't leave yet, not until they saw Gideon off to Elphaine Academy. Unfortunately, that was about the only thing they agreed upon.

They weren't leaving, but they were packing to leave. Only this time it was different; not in the way that they usually did. Gideon was preparing, not to go with them, but to go off to school. His plan was to move into the dormitories and be on his own for the first time in his life…or at least the life he remembered. Similarly, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were also getting their things in order, but for what was the subject of almost constant conflict.

He was convinced that this was truly moving on. He believed that just like all the other times they'd found a hint and had a place to move onto. This wasn't a time for a "field trip", it was a final move. He thought they should be selling the house and possessions, preparing to start a new life. But to her, it was far more complicated than that. To her, they couldn't leave entirely. Gideon was here. Ellen was going to remain in the village until her eighteenth birthday before they could be together in school. Yes, they'd found their way to the guide to get rid of the dagger and with that discovery suddenly the end of all the running around seemed within their grasp! There was no reason they couldn't come back once they were done, or for the holidays to visit Gideon. This was the place they'd lived the longest since Storybrooke, and over the years she'd gotten used to feeling settled again. She just didn't understand why they had to let it all go when they were so close and their son was putting down roots. And yet…

"I've told Gideon to get permission from the school to board the horses."

"What? Why?! Rumple…we still have a cart to pull!" she argued, shocked at his sudden announcement. They hadn't agreed or even talked about what they were going to do with the horses yet. She didn't think it was even a question they'd be coming with them!

"I suspect it'll be for the better of the horses as well as Gideon. He's taken care of them all his life, and one is getting to the point it'll pass in a year or so."

"But the other could pull our cart for us!"

"We'll think of something," he assured her casually. There wasn't a worry in the world to him. She was busy fretting over all of this, and he seemed so assured. She truly didn't understand it unless…

"Rumple…what aren't you telling me about this place?" she questioned. He was the one who said he knew it, he was the one that seemed so certain they wouldn't be returning, she could only assume that was because he knew something she didn't. They shared everything, why wasn't he sharing this?

"It's not that I'm not telling you something," he argued. "I simply think it's best to show you rather than try to convince you."

"Try to convince me…Rumple," she sat down beside him and reached for his hand. "I trust you. I trust whatever you say to me is the truth. Whatever you say, I'll believe it. You should know that by now."

He squeezed her hand and offered a kind smile. "I do. I know it, Belle. But all the same, I suspect this journey could take longer than you think, and I'll let you see why for yourself when we get there."

In the end, they'd been forced to compromise. Without giving her the hints that she needed, he'd been forced to since she refused to let him sell the house this time around. She'd prepare to move out, as he wanted, but she wanted to keep it, thinking that one day they'd return. And if not?

"Then Gideon will have a home ready for him when he finishes with school. He can live here, or sell it and move somewhere else. It's just a precaution." With that in mind, he'd had less of a struggle making his decision. The idea of leaving something good in this place for Gideon, just in case he truly didn't like the dormitories, was appealing and the next day he spoke with Ellen's parents, who promised to care for it in their stead until Gideon finished school when it would be granted to him. And then came the inevitable.

The day finally arrived when Gideon would move into the dormitories. She knew that in Storybrooke it would have been their job to go with him, to take his things, move him in, and meet his roommate, but things were different in this land. They believed that their students did better with privacy and what Gideon was moving into was a box about the size of a one-bedroom apartment. She was told it had power, for the first time in a long while he was looking forward to a light that wasn't a candle hanging over his bed. It was also, generally, expected that the students would arrive alone, without their parents. Which meant that the morning of his departure Gideon hitched his horses to one of the wagons, packed his belongings inside of it, making it look terribly big for such a small task and then turned back to them, his shuffle awkward. She thought she'd be fine, this wasn't forever after all, and they had already spoken of seeing each other at his first break. But now that the moment had arrived she felt herself lean into the steady arm Rumple kept around her shoulders, using it to keep straight.

"Do you have everything you need?" she questioned, the emotions were gathering in a great knot in her throat making her voice sound odd already.

"Yes," he answered scratching the back of his head as Neal would have when he was uncomfortable. This was the part they knew nothing about, for though she'd said good-bye to him once he hadn't been able to say good-bye back as he could now. Likewise, this was an opportunity that Rumple had never had with Neal. Neither child nor parents seemed to know where to start.

"Your mother and I have something for you," Rumple inserted, breaking the silence. He pulled out the small burlap bag that they'd filled only the night before and handed it to Gideon. He took it carefully and gently pulled the top open. Peering in and recognizing what it was, his eyes widened.

"The remaining Magic Beans?!" he exclaimed.

"Most of them, but not all of them," Rumple corrected.

"Well…no! Don't you and Mother need them to-"

"We have what we need," he interrupted. "And if we should find ourselves needing more, we'll know right where to look."

"It's so you'll always be able to find us, no matter where we are," she added. They'd talked about it for a long while. Giving Gideon the magic beans was one of the few things they'd agreed upon from the start. They wanted their son to be able to go to them wherever they were.

"But…I've never been to where you are going."

"All the better, Rumple explained. "All you must do is think of your mother and me, and we'll be there waiting for you."

A smile broke over Gideon's face as he sealed the bag and carefully stored it in a pocket. "Thank you."

So that was it then. He was packed. He had his gift. All there was left to do was…

"We love you Gideon!" she exclaimed louder than she'd meant to. "Truly we do. I don't need to tell you to make us proud because…"

"You already do," Rumple finished for her when she couldn't continue.

Gideon looked between the pair of them, and she could see the tears he was fighting to hold back in his eyes. "Oh mother…the only reason I'm who I am is because of you. Both of you!" he added before reaching out and hugging her. His hugs had changed since she'd first held him, he was taller now, he had to hunch over in order to rest his head on her shoulder like he had when he was a child. But somehow the way he'd hugged her was always the same. Tight. Like she was home for him in some way.

"This isn't the end, mother," he finally whispered against her. She could hear the little sniffle he'd given, holding his emotions in the way his father always tried to.

"No!" she remarked immediately pulling away. Such a thought as "the end" was far too wrong to even give it a second glance. It felt like an end, but she knew it wasn't "the end". "No, of course, it's not! It's just the next chapter! For all of us!"

She grabbed Rumple's hand, and the three of them stood together looking into faces, making a lasting memory of holding the two people who mattered most at once. Then, all too soon Gideon hugged his father tight, hugged her again, got up onto the wagon and set off on his own journey. They watched him until he was out of sight and it was only then that she was happy they'd chosen not to leave the same moment Gideon had, for all she wanted to do was fall into her husband's arms and weep.

It wasn't a sad thing, but she was sad. She missed her son, missed his presence and even the small noises that came from him being in the house, up in his room. She missed him so much that it turned out their home was the best thing for her. The final preparations gave her something to do in the week that followed Gideon's departure. And Rumple was helpful, though she knew he missed him too. He was attentive to her feelings first, often reaching out for her hand or telling her he loved her as they adjusted to the silence.

They waited only ten days after Gideon left to depart themselves. Enough time, in her mind, for Gideon to go to a week of school, decide if he liked it or not, and return if he didn't. He did not return. And early on the morning of their departure, she found herself staring down the road he'd disappeared on, as if expecting him to appear again. But he didn't.

"He'll be fine," Rumple assured her grabbing her hand. She pulled the shawl she was using in the cold over her before nodding in acceptance. She never had imagined this would be as difficult as it was.

The pair of them set off. Rumple used his magic to pull the cart into the forest in place of the horses. From there, they pulled out the remainder of their magic beans, the ten they hadn't given to Gideon. But before Rumple threw it, she felt Rumple's hand warm in her own.

"It's just as you said, Belle. This is a new chapter, for all of us."

She took a deep breath. Leaving wasn't going to be easy, but there was a time it had just been the two of them and they would figure it out again this time, even if she felt like Gideon's shadow was hanging over them.

The bean was thrown. The portal opened. And with one hand secure around her and the other firmly on the cart, Rumple led her through to a world she could never have prepared herself for. She gasped at the sight of it and immediately left her husband's side as well as the cart of their possessions to step forward and get a closer look.

She didn't know what she'd expected to see at a place called "The Edge of Realms". A black abyss? Stars? A cliff face or a waterfall? She'd pictured any number of apocalyptic images since Rumple had told her about it, but every picture she could have come up with was wrong. It was...paradise!

The Edge of Realms…it truly was an edge. And possibly the most beautiful one she'd ever seen. The portal had delivered them to the top of a mountainous cliff. A very long, steep cliff. It was so high that there were clouds that hung like mist in the gorge below them. Extended outward it appeared to be something of a valley, the trees were such a rich healthy green that she knew she'd never seen what trees were meant to look like until now. The waterfalls fell from impossibly high heights, making their deadly stream no more than a mist when they landed in the rivers below. And just beyond the trees and waterfalls was water. An ocean? A lake? It was difficult to say considering she'd never been in any place like this. The expanse went on and on, with no end in sight. And there hanging so that it almost touched the surface of the water, was a giant bright orb. It was bigger than the sun in the Realm Without Magic, bigger than any of the realms she'd ever lived in. It seemed to be right on the precipice of sinking below the horizon and yet as she watched she noted that it never moved. It stayed there as if suspended in time as well as space. She felt a smile spread over her mouth "the sun's brightest set, the place where time stops".

She'd cried a lot over the last week, but for the first time she felt a single solitary tear of joy escape the corner of her eye as she stared at it all. It was beautiful.

She took a step closer and felt Rumple's arm around her waist once more.

"Careful!" he insisted quickly giving her a little pull backward. She'd been so caught up in the sight of it that she'd been unaware of his returned presence beside her and just how perilously close she'd been to the side of the mountain. Secure once more, she sighed, taking it all in.

"Rumple, it's gorgeous!" she exclaimed. A new feeling was filling her up. Hope and joy and courage. Happiness!

They'd found it. The prophecy had led them to a place that actually existed. Now they had only to wait for the inevitable to come to pass.

"The Edge of Realms," Rumple announced to her as they stood on the side of the cliff. "Where time stops and the sun sets brightest in all the lands."

"And when it does, we will finally have our answer to getting rid of the dagger," she assured him confidently. It still amazed her, how after all these years, their thoughts could still be one.

"You know, Belle…" he turned from the vastness before them and grabbed her hands, looking almost worried. "We're on the outer most ridges of existence here. The normal rules of time and space do not apply. An eternity here could be like the blink of an eye back home. It could be years to us before the sun finally sets."

She understood what he was saying but only smiled. Was this what he'd been so worried about? Was this the thing he'd been hesitant to tell her back home, the thing that had made him believe they wouldn't be going back to their home? Did he really expect her to be bothered by it?! They hadn't been following a proper timeline since they left with Gideon. Who knew what time it truly was or how much of it had passed? All she cared about was that she didn't feel a thing. She didn't want to trade years with him for days, so as long as their days, or blink of an eye, felt like years, what was it to her?

"So then we'll wait," she promised. But even as she said the words she already could see a small problem with this arrangement. The outermost ridges of existence didn't exactly have a town that they could buy a home from. They had their camping gear of course…but why live for years in tents when there was another solution awaiting them? Her mind was already turning, thinking about something grand. There was not a doubt in her mind that it would be perfect.

"Are you sure?" Rumple questioned uncertainly. As if he actually expected her back out of this spot. They couldn't leave, not when they were so close. Not when these years could be so perfect.

"What better place to build our home than on an eternal summer day?" she questioned. This place was beautiful, it was bright, and she felt warm here, a stark contrast to the castle they'd both lived in when they first met, in every way but one. They'd be alone. Together they would be by themselves. Though she'd enjoyed making friends she'd always vowed she'd trade it in a heartbeat for her husband and now was the time. They'd spend this time together as they waited, and they'd build their own castle. It would be modest, but so were they.

"Then how about a rose garden?" he suggested eagerly.

"And a cozy nook to read in?!"

She was getting excited. They'd been buying homes all these years, never intending to stay, in some cases only just barely unpacking before packing again. To have their own home again, one that was theirs, that they wanted and designed just for the pair of them…this was going to be fun! A few years of peace before they had to pick up and begin their journey again.

Rumple suddenly leaned down awkwardly, and her smile faded as he pulled the dagger free from his boot. "Your wish is my command, Mrs. Gold!"

"Hey!" She was quick to grab his hand and push it back down before he could do anything they'd both regret. They'd come this far together, and though she didn't mind when he used the magic for small things, to do good, or teach Gideon, this was different. They had all the time in the world…why rush things?

"We came here to get rid of the dagger, okay," she reasoned. "I want to build our home! Right here! With our own hands!" she declared. She knew it wasn't going to be perfect, but with all the time in the world, why not?

Still, Rumple glanced at the dagger sadly before turning back to her. For the smallest fraction of a moment, she feared that he'd disagree, that his detest of living in tents and camping would overwhelm her wishes. But suddenly a wide smile broke out over his face, and he cast the dagger to the ground behind her, an act that made her beam and giggle like a girl again. No matter how old they were he'd always make her feel young and in love all over again, especially when he opened his arms wide for her and she could reach forward to kiss him with such vigor.

He placed his forehead against her own, and they stood together for a long while just holding one another and smiling.

"Where do we start?" he finally wondered aloud. What came to mind was a line from a movie, a musical she'd watched with Gideon once in a far away land.

"At the very beginning…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it, the last chapter of section four, which means we're on to the very last section of this fiction. This seemed like a fitting end to that section. I know it's more of an in-between chapter, what with saying good-bye to Gideon and their decision to settle. I hope that you liked it. I hope that Gideon's departure was "just right". I wasn't interested in making it too tearful because even though it is a good-bye in some ways it's not really a true good-bye. Gideon turns up in a few of the chapters to come to update us on where he is at as well as show us how quickly time does pass in this new realm. I also didn't want it to be sad just because I couldn't see a reason for it to be sad, Gideon is going to school, he's starting his adult life! It's not sad. Bittersweet, perhaps, but not sad, at least not to me.
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 for your kind and wonderful words on the last chapter. I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I know that the chapters in section five are shorter than the rest of the chapters (for a reason, mind you) and I know I promised not to get weepy until the very end but...wow, this is pretty darn close. Only ten more chapters to go and of course that very last little mini-fiction. Eight years ya'll! Eight years I've been doing this, been dreaming and dreading the day that we might arrive at the very end and now we're nearly there. My, oh my...Peace and Happy Reading!


	35. Home Sweet Home

It was one thing to say they wanted to build their own home, it was another thing entirely to actually have to do it. She was a Princess turned Librarian, and he was a Spinner turned Dark One, though Neal had once told her that he'd built the house they stayed in during Zelena's reign in the Enchanted Forest, a one-room cabin was not exactly what she had in mind this time. Neither of them had any experience in building the kind of home they imagined. But that didn't stop them dreaming big. When she closed her eyes she had a very specific idea in her mind of what their home would look like. Perhaps, not surprisingly, it resembled their Storybrooke home in some ways. Stairs up to a porch, a giant bay window she could read in, a second story with a master bedroom that took up most of that space and a smaller guest room for when Gideon began to visit. One evening, as they lay together in their tent, adjusting to sleeping through hours of brightness, she took out her own piece of paper and drew it for him. The outer walls at least, what lay inside…she didn't have much of a thought for that. Other than to point to the windows and tell him which one led to which room and how she wanted to design their bedroom to face the sun and make them blackout curtains for comfort, she didn't know much about the inside.

The next morning, or at least what her body sensed as morning, when she awoke she found Rumple by her side, drawing on the back of that same piece of paper and gasped. It wasn't just a sketch of their home. It was too detailed for that. Blue prints. There was no other way to describe the drawing before her. It was a simple floor plan, walking in the front door, the stairs would be to the left while the living room would be to the right and the kitchen with eat in dinning room would be to the back. Up the stairs it was exactly as she'd described, a small simple room big enough for a bed, chest of draws, a night stand, and a trunk for when Gideon came to visit and their room…she nearly burst into tears. He'd taken the time to draw in furniture. A desk under the window on the far wall, opposite the door, a closet close to the door with a small bathroom beside it. And a bed that faced the window that would look out at the setting sun.

"Oh Rumple…" she cried. "It's beautiful. I didn't know you could-"

"I can't," he stated handing it to her for closer inspection. "Erik…one of the Dark Ones who came before me…he must have been an architect. I can feel him whispering in my mind, ideas, construction, supports…"

It was enough to pry her eyes up off the page and look him over. The Dark Ones were whispering? That was something that hadn't happened for a very long time and for good reason. It never meant anything good.

"Is that safe?" she pondered, interrupting his spiel about making sure the foundation would be sturdy enough to support two floors and using pillars. He paused then leaned over and kissed her quickly before smiling.

"I'd rather this than whispering about Darkness," he admitted. "It's almost…it's almost as if some of them want me to have this, to break this curse."

She felt a smile slide over her face. "And break it you shall."

"Perhaps…but there are tasks we must do first.

Oh, there was no denying that! Living out here alone and constructing a home left them without food and water and shelter until the house was complete. Fortunately, their camping equipment helped to remedy some of that. For the rest, they got lucky. There was a village, it was about a three day's journey from their new plot of land, longer if done without a horse. But, not wanting to be away and miss their opportunity, Rumple held her tight in his arms, and the two of them disappeared only to reemerge in the wood outside the small village. She gathered food, things that had seeds she could grow in the fields and meats that had been smoked. She also purchased a bucket for gathering their own water from one of the streams that eventually led to a waterfall and a fish trap. What Rumple gleaned from his expedition was far more valuable. Tools, supplies, and advice from the villagers for making mortar that would hold the foundation of their new home together. When they got home the real work began.

She focused on food and water, but Rumple went to work gathering stones for a foundation, cutting down trees, removing the bark and making them into long planks. He claimed he wasn't using magic, but every now and then when she returned home and saw he'd dug a hole fifteen feet deep to support a large lumber pillar, she had her doubts. Still, doing this for her seemed to bring him great joy, too much for her to ever question it. And she'd rather him use it for simple tasks like that rather than building the entire house.

And so, their life fell into a comfortable routine. With Erik's knowledge in his head, she watched as he created a stone foundation, made a frame, erected walls, learned to make wooden shingles. They went to the village when necessity demanded it. When she felt tired and needed to sleep, they went into the tent, curled into each other and slept. When they felt hungry, they ate.

She nearly cried the first time he brought her within the walls to look around. The second story was not done yet, but the floor was laid, and they moved their sleeping bags into their home and made a makeshift bed on the floor out of blankets and pillows. It was only the next time that they woke that her imagination began to go to work again.

"A table here I think, with a few chairs. A couch to read on in the sun-"

"Don't forget some easy chairs as well."

"Easily found. A table and a bookshelf. Oh, and pillows! Something decorative!"

"Paintings wouldn't do any harm."

"I can do those myself. Our pictures will go on the mantel and, of course, we'll need some curtains in here. To keep the light out when we sleep and let it in during the day."

"Why do I always get nervous when curtains are involved?"

She'd giggled playfully and set off to her work. Their next trip into the village she bought furniture, as much as could fit in their cart, endless yards of fabric, paint brushes and canvases. As Rumple finished construction on the second floor she filled her day with gardening and painting, sewing and weeding, cooking, and decorating. And something else…

Pondering. She did her best to hide it but the longer they were here, the longer they waited for their house to be fully constructed the more she came to fear there was something wrong. "when the Dark One finds eternal love at the sun's brightest set, where time stops, the path will appear to where the darkness should rest." The more she thought about those words they bothered her. She'd lost track of how long they'd been here. With no morning or night she wasn't sure there was a way to figure it out. But in all the time they'd been here that sun had not once wavered. She knew exactly how far over the sea it sat suspended when she woke and exactly where it would be when she went to sleep. So how was it ever to set, if it didn't move?!

"Belle!" She hid it, of course, didn't let him see how it made her worry or wonder, for she only ever let herself think about it when he was away from her in town.

"Belle, I've a surprise for you." With his return, she set the dreaded prophecy aside and crept outside to see the wagon load he'd returned with. She expected most of it. Pots and pans, some more fabric, a couple more chairs and blankets and…

"Rumple!" she exclaimed running down the stairs to see if her eyes were simply playing tricks on her. They weren't. "They're beautiful!"

Windows. Perfectly crystal clear, glass windows! It was the one thing she'd been thinking that she'd never get. The windows had been cut out, it was true, but on several trips to the village they'd learned that glass windows were rare in this world, most people used wooden shutters and he'd been preparing her that it might be their only option. She, it seemed, was not the only one keeping secrets.

"How did you-"

"A special order," he answered simply. "As well as…" he rummaged through his latest haul and pulled free for her-

"A book!" she smiled, eagerly taking it from his hands and looking it over. "It's just like old times!"

"I thought it was a tradition we start again. Only perhaps we could read it together."

She wasn't aware of how emotional she was until she felt a tear move out of her eye and down her cheek. The tradition he'd begun of bringing her books to read from every where they went. A tradition to be changed as they explored the books together. She was excited to start that adventure, especially if he was always going to reach out and wipe her tears dry with his thumb.

"It's a remarkable idea. Thank you."

On they went endlessly, day after unending day. Painting, sketching, carving, reading, sleeping, eating, cooking, gathering, hunting, kissing, arranging, and perfecting this place they were going to call home. The first floor was done. Her paintings hung perfectly framed against the wall. They both had laid claim to chairs beneath them and a blanket she'd just finished making was draped across the back of the couch that hid an old trunk he'd thought she'd like. It was the perfect place to store their outdated camping equipment. Their table was set for three, waiting for Gideon to join them one fine day. The family pictures as well as her chipped cup found their way to the mantle and chandeliers hung from the ceiling. He'd even carved a lovely ornamental box where he put the dagger so he no longer had to carry it, but could be as out of sight and mind as possible.

Valiantly as ever, he'd carried her across the threshold of their home a time or two, enjoying far more than she'd ever suspected he would, the spoils of their efforts. It was perfect, they were perfect, and to be honest, she didn't see how it could ever get any better than it already was.

"Tired Mrs. Gold?" he questioned as they sat reading after what must have been their supper. Truthfully, it was too difficult to keep track of time in this spot. For all she knew, it was breakfast time. But she nodded anyway, knowing they'd been up for long enough and were ready to go to sleep.

She stood quickly and went to the couch, shaking out the blanket as he rose behind her. "Will you be joining me on the couch tonight Mr. Gold?" she teased as he put his hands around her waist and kissed her neck. They hadn't slept in sleeping bags for the longest time, but the couch was wide, and when it came to sleeping they'd made the best of the space they had.

"No," he whispered into her ear before kissing her cheek. "Tonight, I thought I'd take you to bed, Mrs. Gold."

She smiled and giggled, taking in the feel of him around her before his words and the seriousness of his tone finally dawned on her, and she spun around in shock.

"Rumple, you…it's done?!"

There was an amused smirk on his face as he nodded. "I finished the last piece this afternoon. I wanted to surprise you…if you'd like."

Excitement swelled so that she felt as though her heart might burst out of her chest. Words escaped her, and she only managed to nod. He'd thought long and hard about this surprise and in the end covered her eyes as he took her step by step up each step. His hands were on her hips, positioning her just right when he told her she could open them. She hadn't been in this part of the house before. He'd told her it wasn't ready and she'd trusted him and never been up to look at it. What she stared at now was a long hallway. They must have been to the back of the house. To the right was a door, half cracked open already that she went through. Gideon's room. It was bigger than she expected it would be. The bed was bigger than any she'd ever known him to have, for Ellen perhaps, if she visited as well? There was a chest of drawers and a closet just as she'd planned, a nice nightstand and candlestick, but otherwise it was empty, looking out over the sunset and waiting for it's owner to come and give it personality.

Satisfied she closed the door behind them and went to the door at the end of the hall, the one that had been closed, she knew, for dramatic effect, so she could inspect Gideon's room without even the smallest hint of what lay inside.

It was beautiful. From the moment she opened the door she was struck by, and overwhelmed at, the beauty of it all. She hadn't expected him to finish it like this! She'd expected she'd have to get furniture for it and they'd put it together! But there sat the nightstands, with candelabras on top of them, for decoration obviously, as light was never a problem, there was the writing desk and a comfortable chair was against the far window just like in the blue prints. There was a bench along the window, the one that looked out over the sunset, it was already lined with a pillows, a quiet nook for reading. But the bed…it took her breath away. A large wooden four poster bed, larger than anything they'd owned since Storybrooke sat perfectly facing the window. Covered with lovely sheets and blankets there was a canopy at the top and large heavy and thick draperies hung from the posters, curtains to keep the sun out. She felt her heart melt as she examined the intricate carvings and the fact that it would have been impossible for him to put get this into the house without her realizing dawned on her all over again.

"You made this…" she breathed.

"I did."

She had to rest her forehead against it to swallow down the tears she felt rising. He said it with such pride and confidence that she knew beyond doubt not a hint of magic had gone into it. It was only his own two hands. She wasn't going to cry, not at such a beautiful gift as this.

"Is it alright?"

"Is it alright?!" she blanched finding her feet and launching herself into his arms once more. "I don't think I've ever loved anything more than this," she whispered.

It was terribly romantic. And while she'd been perfectly ready for sleep downstairs, suddenly she felt as though it was the last thing that she wanted to do.

"You should shut the curtains," she whispered as they stood there, hands between them, lips brushing against lips.

He gave a small snort. "I can but I don't know what good it'll do." She pulled back a little, confused at his comment and itching to inspect the curtains once more. She'd thought they would block it out, but he seemed to think-

"The point of the curtains is the keep the sunlight out, but when we're together we shine brighter than any sun," he explained. And that was the end of her, the end of control and waiting. If she didn't have him then she knew she wouldn't ever get past this moment.

The house had been christened before this moment. The living room floor, the couch, the table, the kitchen counter…this was a christening of the bed. It was a moment for the two of them to share in the bright sunlight, to take in what was around them, then lay naked together and watch the brightness outside their bedroom door.

It was a moment for the two of them, until it wasn't. He'd been falling asleep more and more, ever since they got here. Deeply asleep. In the past, sleep for him had been merely a chore, something he participated in with her and her alone, until of course she woke up and her movement would startle him awake. She was certain that it wasn't until this trip she'd ever truly seen her husband sleep. She'd been happy to see that, as she spent most of her time thinking that perhaps he was doing it because his mind was finally beginning to relax. The power of the Dark One was finally beginning to fade and leave him be only…it wasn't.

His regular breath the only sound beside her and the sun staring back at her, she moved delicately out of his arms, smiling when she realized he'd remained asleep. She'd never have been able to do that in the past. Not wanting to wake him she grabbed a spare blanket and wrapped it around herself before leaving him asleep in the room.

"When we're together we shine brighter than any sun." Those were the words responsible for all this. Not just the love-making, but this too, her sudden inability to sleep and the worry that seemed to suddenly press down on her. There was something odd to those words, something heavy that had given her a dreadful idea she had to either confirm or deny right away. She pulled the paper free from the place it was safe in the bookshelf and then hunched herself over the table, blanket in one hand, translation in the other. Was it possible? Could she have missed it?

She felt the blood drain from her body as she read and re-read the questionable sentences. Yes. It wasn't that she'd translated it wrong, she'd just broken it down wrong and failed to understand what Merlin meant until he'd said that damn sentence! The phrase was "finds eternal love at sun's brightest set". She'd thought that it indicated the sun setting here, where time stopped, but that wasn't it. It wasn't the sun that was meant to set. It was their love. It was death.

The sun's set was death.

A love that could be found at the time of death to endure for all eternity.

She nearly bursts into tears realizing finally the true meaning of it all, everything, right down to the first time they'd met Sabine and Naveen, even the last message that Regina had given them before they'd gone. In truth, she'd always suspected it, but had never let herself work it out until that moment. Sabine and Naveen, they'd known him, a duplicate him after the curse, a detective. But they hadn't known her, they hadn't looked at her with any recognition, or kept secrets about things they knew about her…because she hadn't been there. They'd said themselves that Rumple wasn't married in the other life he had. And if he had been swallowed up in another curse without her, without Gideon, she could think of only one reason for that. He couldn't die. But she could. She could mature and age and turn to dust before him. And he could go on. It was his greatest fear, the reason they'd started this journey was to prevent this very thing from happening and yet…if this were true, he'd never be free without it happening. But that was the one promising thing out of it. The Regina Sabine and Naveen knew had eventually emerged, the Zelena they knew from the future had been living in San Francisco until the timeline corrected itself, everything had come full circle…except for Rumple. They'd never seen or heard of his duplicate after Regina had united the realms. "I have a feeling you're going to find exactly what you are looking for" Regina had told him. Exactly what he was looking for…that could only mean-

From their bedroom above she heard a floorboard creak, and it was followed by footsteps. She immediately secured the scroll once more and went to the kitchen counter to splash her face with water, hiding the tears. She couldn't tell him. Neither the bad nor the good. Not now, not yet. Maybe not ever. He wouldn't accept it. He'd insist they leave and if they find nothing more and she'd die anyway, away from this place where the path was meant to come to light at her passing…then her death may be in vain, and he'd lose his chance. She couldn't let him risk that. She wouldn't. For to spend an eternity in death without him would be a loss for her as well. No. She won't do it. Selfish as it might have been, she refused to be somewhere for an eternity that he wasn't. She hated secrets and didn't like to keep them, not from him, but she had to keep this one from him. For his own good. He couldn't know. Not until the time was right. Even if it means that the right time is when her own runs out. For even if it ran out...

Suddenly her mind began connecting dots again, thinking through the timeline that she had in her head and she had the odd feeling, the strangest thought. If this worked, then would he be the one waiting for her?

"Months of sleeping on the sofa and when you finally get a nice bed you return."

She steadied her breathing at his voice and forced a chuckle. "It wasn't by choice. I had something in my eye and needed to wash it out."

"Not a splinter I hope," he commented, wrapping his bare arms around her and setting his chin just over her shoulder.

"Doubtful, but whatever it was I must have gotten it. No more scratches."

"Here." He turned her around in his arms and used his fingers to prod open her eyelids and do a very thorough inspection before concluding "You must have gotten it."

"That was the point." With a smile that was no longer fake, she let the blanket fall from her shoulders and snaked her arms around his neck. "I love you," she muttered before kissing him again. His excitement grew between them, and she lost herself in the feel of having him before her now, in this moment alone, moments she could no longer trade for anything in the world.

"Hey," she whispered breaking away from him. "Take me back to bed."

Time was short compared to eternity. They had to make the best of both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to section five of Moments Beyond, a section I aptly named "The Edge of Realms Years". This is the longest chapter in this section and I know that just because I know that the chapters in this section are the shortest not only in this fiction but in all of Moments. The reason for that is because these next few chapters are nothing but fluff. They are simple moments of Rumple being a husband and Belle being a wife and the pair of them just enjoying their time together. It's slow stuff, but I hope you'll enjoy it and feel like you earned some of these quiet moments after so many years of junk!
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. Much appreciated! The biggest question about these chapters as well as this time in their lives that I always see is "why would Belle do this?" She was so social, why would she suddenly become a hermit. I kind of put the answer into the end of this chapter, though I do think that the show kind of answered it for us. I think we make sacrifices for the ones that we love, especially when we know they are in need. Belle knows what is about to happen. Rumple doesn't know it, but she's put it all together already. And knowing the little she does about the future curse, she knows that after this he is going to go on a journey. She doesn't know how long this journey is, where it will take him, or the trials he'll face there, but she knows one thing-he'll be alone. I feel like for that reason alone she sees every moment they spend together as one more memory, one more second that he can have in his mind to steady him for when she isn't there anymore. At this point every moment she gives is a moment to strengthen him for what is to come and that did seem like a very Belle-thing to do, at least in my opinion. But let me know what you think and if you have questions and I'll do what I can to answer them, especially since these chapters are kinda slow. Peace and Happy Reading!


	36. The Sobering Reality

Gideon was sobering. A reminder of the reality that continued on outside of their cozy little nook at the edge of the world and realms. For without nights they were forced to think of their days in "sleeps" and all the while they'd been busy building their home and farming the land she felt as though so many sleeps had past they must have been there for a year, maybe even two. It was certainly two cycles of crops, she'd gotten enough new gray hairs for two years, the work they had done was work that easily should have taken them that time, and the ache that she felt for her son certainly made it feel it had been that long, maybe even longer.

And yet, one day, as they sat on a blanket just outside their home, looking at the view and talking and laughing about all that they'd accomplished so far she heard a noise she'd become all too familiar with since starting this journey. When she looked over her shoulder she felt her smile widen and immediately jumped to her feet. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her into the arms of her son, who had to drop the bag he'd brought with him through the portal just to receive her. They hugged so tight he easily picked her up off the ground.

"Gideon! It's been too long!" she muttered in his ear.

He laughed. "It's only been a couple of weeks, Mother! You can't live that long without me?"

Weeks. Not years, weeks. What they'd accomplished, the building and growing, things that would have taken years, they'd done only in a few weeks time for Gideon. And he wasn't joking with her, for as her husband followed to give him a hug of his own she studied his face, the face that she knew all too well, and saw the truth of it. It was the exact same face she'd said good-bye to. Years ago? Months ago?

They took Gideon into the house, fed him, told him everything that they'd done and how they'd built their own private world here. Then they showed him the curtains in his room that would allow him to sleep in the dark as he was accustomed to. Soon enough she heard the familiar stillness in the house that came with rest. Her son was here, her husband was slumbering by her side, and yet she couldn't bring herself to go to sleep. Gideon, his unchanged youth, was a stark and clear reminder of the sacrifice that she would have to make to ensure that this all worked out the way they wanted for Rumple. She could feel the years she was living with him, sense them as they pass by her, even if the sun didn't set. But when she looked at Gideon, to see him still young and whole she was reminded that years weren't passing for him the way they were passing for the pair of them here on this ledge. Was it fair, to rob him of his mother so early in his life, just as she was robbed of her own mother?

She clearly wasn't the only one to have those thoughts. For when she woke late the next day she could hear the murmurings of her son and husband down in the kitchen. After dressing she stood at the top of the stairs, listening to their hushed voices discussing the very thing that had kept her up at night.

"What is this place exactly?"

"We told you-"

"No," Gideon interrupted. "No, I don't want to know what you told me last night, the version that Mother is feeding me. Nothing is as perfect as she made this place out to seem. Father…what is this place?"

Below she heard Rumple give a slow sigh, then heard the scrape of a chair and the creep as he must have sat down. "It's called the Edge of Realms, and it is exactly that."

"What happens here? Really?"

"Nothing," Rumple answered accurately. "Time plays tricks here, advancing on us quickly, but never changing in the world around us."

"That's why she told me it had been years yesterday."

"It does feel as though years have gone by, yes. But that's how we know we're in the right place, Gideon. It's all in the prophecy."

There was a beat of silence for a moment, and she nearly put her foot on the step and began to descend when Gideon let out the same sigh his father had.

"But the sun…if time around you has stopped that means it'll never set, Father."

She felt her heart race as Gideon had discovered the same problem that she'd stumbled upon what felt like months ago. Would Rumple realize it too? What if he did? He'd never accept it, never allow her to make such a sacrifice that she was prepared to make! He'd take her away from this place. They'd spend the rest of their lives running around searching for an answer they'd already found!

"One day it will," Rumple's answer drifted up the stairs, full of certainty and belief. He hadn't caught on. "On the day it finally happens everything will be perfectly clear."

"But…is it safe here in the meantime? For Mother? With time moving the way it is-"

"When has your mother ever considered herself first in this search?"

"When have you ever considered the search above Mother's safety?"

She felt her eyes widen at her son's accusation because there was no way that it was anything but an accusation. He was accusing his father of not caring for his mother, of putting himself first. Decades ago, even if it was true, anyone who ever suggested something like that would have found themselves staring down the end of their life. Gideon had never made any kind of suggestion like that before. She hadn't a clue what the look on Rumple's face must have been in the silence that followed. There was the sound of a chair being pushed back, of light footsteps that she knew belonged to her husband but they weren't angry. They were soft, as if he wasn't walking anywhere just walking.

"I know what you fear, Gideon. I fear it too. But you said it yourself just now…I've always kept you and your mother safe. I've no intention of stopping now." His voice was steady. Not calm, but trained. No, he hadn't liked the suggestion that he wasn't doing his job but he'd taken a breath, checked his emotions, and calmly explained things to their son. That was good. It gave her hope.

"She'll be fine," Rumple repeated a few moments later when she finally began to descend the stairs. They'd heard her. There was little doubt about that judging by the way that they'd lowered their voices. "I'll look after her, and if need be, I can keep her young with my magic until the time is right."

"Only if she lets you."

"There lies the rub."

"Good morning mother!" Gideon greeted the moment her skirts came into view.

She wished she hadn't heard that part, and yet she wanted to hear more about what he was saying about it. But it was too late she was already halfway down the stairs and had no choice but to put on a smile and greet them merrily.

"What are you two talking about?" she questioned, automatically walking into Rumple's waiting arm and letting him kiss her forehead.

"Ellen," Gideon lied straight away, like some kind of expert. Where he'd learned that she didn't know, certainly not from his parents. "When I return I'll have to…"

She listened to her son talk on and on about Ellen and school so far but her mind wandered. She knew she wasn't supposed to hear any of their conversation, but she had. The bit about Rumple keeping her young with magic…she wasn't as worried about that as she felt she would have been long ago. He knew better than to use magic on her without her permission. And the dagger, which she felt he'd need for something like that, now sat in it's little ornamental box, nearly forgotten. She'd hold out, she'd let nature take its course and then…

She'd leave Gideon without his mother, just as she'd been left without her mother.

But as she found her seat, and watched her son discuss his life over breakfast she was suddenly aware not of the similarities between her life and her son's but rather the differences. Her mother had left her when she was a child, when she was still growing. She'd left her ignorant and confused and miserable and lonely. Gideon would mourn her; she knew that with certainty. But she wasn't her son's entire world as her mother had been hers. Gideon had friends. He had Ellen. He had school and hopes and dreams. He wasn't ignorant, he was well educated and enjoyed the life he led.

And one day she would leave him. Whether it was in a few years his time or decades in another place, one day she would leave him. Looking at her husband, the way he was smiling now as he listened to their son and holding her hand, unconsciously squeezing at moments when he felt pride in Gideon…it was worth it. Growing old with her husband and leaving her son, dying for Rumple to meet her one day where she liked to think they'd live out an eternity in peace with Neal and even someday Gideon would be worth it.

Children weren't meant to be with their parents forever. They were meant to grow old with their own soulmates. She'd been given that opportunity in this place. Gideon would be given the opportunity for it as well, whether he knew it or not. That was how she knew she'd go on when she was gone. She would live on in him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew that diving into this section was going to require answering some very tough questions. There was the one about Belle leaving behind her social life for Rumple, and I gave my theory on that in the last chapter, but then there was this other big topic. How could Belle be okay with dying knowing that she was going to leave Gideon behind? Maybe you've noticed or maybe you haven't, but I've kind of been trying to answer questions like this throughout this fiction. Here's the big answer, which I think answers a lot of questions: Belle sees the bigger picture. Arguably the biggest picture. OUAT doesn't really cover the matter of religion, but we know that they believe in some kind of afterlife; it would be hard not to after they've gone to the Underworld. They know and they believe that there is something beyond this life and I think it's safe to say that they believe it's going to last for an eternity. Therefore this mission they've been on has never really been a "suicide mission", this has been about finding them eternal life, for Belle, for Rumple, and eventually for Gideon. Therefore, why is she so comfortable leaving Gideon? Well, first of all, she doesn't think that she is leaving Gideon, not permanently. She has faith that she will be with her son again just as she will be with her husband. Second of all, I've tried really hard to leave Gideon in a good place that allows her to feel like this is natural, Gideon understands, and her job is done. I'm doing my best to leave her with the knowledge that Gideon is a man, he's got Ellen, he's got his education, hopes, and dreams. Of course, she knows he'll miss her, she's not over the moon about missing him, but I'm trying to leave her a completion and satisfaction so that she has the strength to go through with this and continue to keep her eyes on that big picture.
> 
> Big thank yous to Rolf and Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. I really do appreciate everyone's support throughout this fiction as well as throughout this series. Truly, I've met so many wonderful people, had so many wonderful conversations. As we wrap this series up I find myself reflecting not so much on the writing or the stories, but rather the people; those who have been with me from the very beginning, those who I haven't heard from in years, and those who have only been here for a fiction or two. Each one is a relationship that I have enjoyed. Thank you, truly, truly, that you all for your support, whether it's chapter by chapter or just every now and then! You are wonderful! Thanks for the memories! Peace and Happy Reading!


	37. Life As They Knew It

There was no such thing as time for them anymore. It passed, she supposed, just as she always would have expected it to pass. She felt the weight of the years she lived begin to take their toll on her body and the guilt from the years she would miss in her heart every time Gideon visited, claiming he'd only seen them months ago when it felt like eons to her. But as far as days and months and hours and seconds went…they were all gone. Her life seemed very suddenly to be one never-ending memory. And she didn't mind it.

It was hard, though, to say when exactly, or how long ago, he'd rolled over into her arms in his sleep, and she'd realized that she had to make plans, not for herself, but for him. For as his problems had faded away and he slept easily these days, curled around her as if she were his anchor, her own panic began to hold, disrupting her sleep and making her wonder. What would he do on the day he woke to find she was gone, that his anchor was no more, that it was time to begin his last voyage. With her and Gideon around he was strong, the darkness suppressed to the point of extinction, but she knew that it would take advantage of him at his most vulnerable.

The answer came to her when he'd gone out, to gather them supplies from the village, little things that they couldn't collect on their small isolated island of paradise. Before he'd left she'd given him the note, a list really, of things she wanted him to get.

"It's like taking a piece of you with me," he'd muttered in sarcasm, but as soon as he'd vanished, she began to wonder if it wasn't such a bad idea. If she wasn't here to guide him, maybe she could leave a piece of herself behind, a small anchor that he could hold onto after death.

That was how she started the letters. Every time he left her alone, which wasn't often, she took a small fragment of paper and began to write, anything and everything that she could think of, things that she knew would keep him grounded while they were apart, and things that would need to be said so that he followed the right path and not the wrong one.

_My Dearest Rumpelstiltskin_

_I've been thinking a lot about that cave we went to a few years back, the one that nearly killed us before we returned to find Gideon with Ellen for the first time and nearly had heart attacks all over again…(does he have children yet, I wonder? How do we feel about the idea of them together now?)_

_My beloved husband, I want you to promise me you won't go back to that cave after I am gone. In all our travels and wanderings we have discovered that there are right ways and wrong ways to go about doing things, and though going to that circle might bring you to me sooner, I fear what would happen on the day someone found the dagger and removed it. Would the curse be freed? Would it wreak havoc in a new land? Would you be taken from me again in death, summoned back as the one still bound to the dagger, like before?_

_I cannot tell, but I know that once we are together again, I don't want to be parted. This will be the last time we are separated, I have decided. And so, I ask of you to follow the path that you must, no matter how long it takes, to properly let this curse rest for good, so that we might truly know restful peace and Merlin's prophecy will be true, you'll have used the darkness to destroy itself, for light._

_I love you with all my heart, my soul, my very being, and I trust the man you have become just as much as I love you._

_Love always, your wife, Belle._

At first, she thought of hiding the letters she wrote, but in the end, she decided that she couldn't truly "hide" them in a traditional sense. Though her timely demise seemed decades away the truth was that she was mortal. At any moment the earth beneath her feet could swallow her whole, her heart could stop working, she could fall down the stairs, a bear could wander out of the forest and maul her…they were silly things to think, she knew, but they were things that naturally came to mind with mortality at the forefront of her thoughts. If she passed without revealing the place they were hidden then there was always the possibility they would remain there, unread, forever. That was something she certainly didn't want to happen. The letters had to be kept at all times in a place that he wouldn't be likely to look now, but would return to if something happened to her.

She hid the letters in a safe place, one that she felt sure he was bound to find after she was gone…their travel book. They had so many albums their travel book had become something of the abridged version of it. They put one picture of all the places they'd been to in the official book and then any extras in separate albums. If he wanted to look at pictures, she could bring one of those out. So, whenever she finished a letter, she carefully placed it at the end of their travel book, and left them there for him, before returning it to it's home in her desk. Yes, it was a gamble. She lived in fear that one day he'd grow sentimental and she knew all it would take would be for him to find one, and the truth would be revealed. But for the most part, their eyes were on other things. Each other, for instance.

As they spent their endless time in one another's company, it was not abnormal for them to experience long periods of quiet. When he spun and she sewed, when he cooked and she baked, they both read, whether outside on the porch, looking at the sun, on the edge of the cliff, or in their own home, her laid out on the couch with a book in her lap and he in his seat. It was not abnormal during these periods of time for her to glance over to check on him, and find him staring right back, checking just as she was. They'd share a smile, a small giggle and sigh of contentment, then returned to life as they knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is why these chapters are so short. I wanted to give every scene that we saw during that awesome montage in 7x04 its own starring role, but with not much to work with and not much going on for the Golds the chapters in this section became snapshots. They are each little snippets of what life might be like for a couple who are living out their lives waiting for the opportune time to die. They are simple but sweet chapters. At least that is what I hope you'll take out if them.
> 
> Big thank yous to Rolf and Goldenspinner1953 for commenting on the last chapter and following right along with my logic where Gideon is concerned. You still haven't seen the last of him. I believe it's got another chapter before he goes for good and I think it's probably one of my favorite where he is concerned. I hope that you liked the letter idea in this chapter. Better yet I hope that you like the placement of those letters. I wanted her to be able to write him and leave him something behind but agonized over where she would put them for weeks! Finally, the answer came, ironically enough, from watching up. Ellie's last letter/instructions to Carl are in the back of their adventure book. I about hit my head and yelled "duh" when I realized I could use that. Your thoughts? Peace and Happy Reading!


	38. The Stone Laid

There were always activities to be done on the Edge, always something that needed doing, which fascinated her to no end in this world where the sun never set. The harvest came in time after time, with no care given to the season it may or may not be outside of their oasis. Rumple frequently traveled to the town, to fetch supplies and food as they needed them, they worked on their home, endlessly moving this and that to suit them and their needs as they came, her rose garden sprung up, though it wasn't with her help.

He called it "her rose garden", and though she had worked in it a time or two when she wanted flowers for the table, the truth was that it truly belonged to him. A rose garden had, after all, been his request. There were many times when she sat on the front porch or in the windows of her reading nook, a book in her lap, but her eyes cast out over the garden as she watched him bent over the flowers, trowel in hand, digging or pruning or plucking. The result was beautiful red roses that looked so perfect they might have been painted that vibrant red instead of grown. Decades into their marriage and she'd never known what kind of a green thumb he'd had until he'd had that garden to work on.

And still, he called it "her garden". "I've got to plant the new roses in your garden." "I need to water your garden." "Do you want some flowers from your garden for the table?"

"You know, you do far more work out there than I do. Shouldn't it be your garden?" she finally argued with a smile. They hadn't had a real argument since…well, the truth was that she couldn't remember the last real argument they'd had. It was too long ago to remember, another life it seemed.

"Of course not…I do all the work for you," he'd explained kissing her cheek and going outside to fetch a rose for her. She only shook her head. She was unwilling to lay claim to it for his sake, and he was unwilling for her sake, but it still made her uncomfortable enough that she felt certain that something should be done about it.

She'd been in the field gathering up the new corn when she found the stone, a smooth perfect slab that she'd never seen before and almost seemed to be waiting for her to find. It was perfect. She'd taken it back to the house, unwilling to let it just lay there uselessly and when she arrived back and found her husband once more hunched over that garden an idea had struck her. It was the best idea she'd had in a long time.

She washed the stone, rinsed it clean, but waited until the next time he went into town for supplies to paint it. It took several coats but by the time he arrived back not only was she finished with her task, but the stone had already been placed in the garden formerly called her own.

"Now if that smile doesn't say you've been up to something…" he muttered when he returned.

"Let's finish bringing things into the house, I've a surprise to show you." Ever intrigued he'd followed orders and brought things into the house and put them away in the pantry faster than she'd ever known it to happen. Finally, he let her take his hand and walk her out to one of the rose gardens.

She knew the exact moment he saw what she'd done with it for she felt him tense beside her.

"I finally figured out what to do with that stone and solved the problem of who the garden should belong to," she explained as he looked down at it in the garden. "Neal's Garden" was painted perfectly upon it, along with a small painting of his face. To her it was perfect. She'd always promised she'd bring Neal flowers and rarely had ever remembered to, now he had them, in buckets full. And a little something more. "We've never really had a place to honor him outside of Storybrooke. I thought it might be time."

She felt his arm curl around the curve of her waist and draw her closer to his side as he stared down at the stone with something like awe in his eyes; awe and pain and happiness and sadness. A million emotions for something as complex as this. It was worth it. It had obviously been a very good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say these chapters would be fluffy and not much more. Just a man being a husband and a woman being a wife. That being said, this chapter was a surprise for me as I hadn't outlined or prompted it, one morning I just sat down and wrote it and was shocked to find that it belonged. They didn't move Neal from Storybrooke. I do believe that they couldn't have maintained a grave during their years of wandering (not to mention that it would have prompted questions by others) and now that they're settled, though I'm sure they could go back and use magic to retrieve him, I just don't see them wanting to do that. Neal is in Storybrooke, he's in the world he always wanted to be in with Emma and Henry and his grandchild and I feel like digging him up just so they could keep him with them isn't something they would do. Making a memorial, however, does seem like something Belle would arrange for. I hope you like it.
> 
> Thank you Rolf and Goldenspinner1953 for your comments and for catching on that by putting the letters inside of that album, it gave his guardianship of it a whole new meaning in season 7! I hope you've liked this chapter, short though it may be. Believe it or not, it's not actually the shortest chapter here! There is one that that belongs to Moments Beyond that is shorter, if you can believe it! But it's nice they're short. This is the life they would have had without problems and it's sweet to me. Peace and Happy Reading!


	39. Waiting to Die

She would have thought that waiting to die would be the worst, most helpless feeling in the world, after all, it had felt that way when she'd been in Regina's tower day and night. She'd felt sure then that her death would arrive swiftly at any moment and lived in fear of it. But here, the place they'd dubbed "Paradise Falls" at Gideon's last visit, waiting for death felt pleasant. There was a life to be lived here. There was food to be grown, love to be made, books to read, and freedom to do as they pleased when they pleased. It was peaceful, and after much thought and consideration, she couldn't think of a better setting or way to wait for death, than the way she was now.

She had made peace with her decision, but someone else had not.

For the first time in a long time, she was keeping a secret from her husband, and it was a big one. She couldn't deny it anymore. Though she longed to tell him about it, she knew that she couldn't, and while she understood that, it didn't make it any easier, especially when the same peace she felt began to elude him. She first noticed it weeks ago, or what felt like weeks ago at least. From the trunk in the living room, she'd noticed that he had taken to pulling out the Chronicles again, going over and over them, looking expectedly at the sun.

It didn't help, she knew, that she was starting to show more signs of aging. She didn't just have sections of gray anymore, for even the parts that were still brown were beginning to fade. She was still mobile of course, and planned to be for as long as possible, but she naturally felt the age creeping into her bones. If she lay in one place for too long or sat in a certain way, she felt stiff. And even here, on this summer morning, she'd begun to notice the way she could get chilly all too easily and needed shawls and long sleeves to make herself warm again.

Panic was beginning to set in for him. She knew that he was starting to wonder more and more if this was right; if they were in the correct spot. He wondered if she'd mistranslated or he'd brought them to the wrong place. He was still searching for an answer. She didn't want to stop him, but she knew that anything could open up the path that he'd need to take when she was gone, but she does try to distract him. And for good reason. When the end finally arrived, when the sun that was not in the sky finally set, he won't just need slips of paper filled with encouragement, he'd need memories. Good, strong, palpable memories of her. The biggest risk to him will be the Darkness inside, ignored for so many years, she felt certain at this point that it was probably fighting to get out. She needed to make sure that when her death arrived his desire to see her again would be stronger than the Dark One's desires to go on. And she needed to be sure that he was strong enough for wherever that journey would lead, for however long it would take, even if she was certain it was already a thing of the past in another world. The last thing she wanted was for him to tempt a desperate soul into taking on the curse as he once had so he could be with her again. She didn't know how she was expected to rest peacefully when she knew that.

So on the day that she finally found him, standing out on their cliff looking at the sun and then down at the paper in his hand, the prophecy, she sighed sadly, worrying for a moment before she sprang to action. She made sandwiches, fetched apples and carrots, then the fresh bottle of wine he'd retrieved from the market on his last trip. She packed all of this in the picnic set that he'd gotten for her long ago and after placing a shawl around herself went out onto the front porch. Her footsteps on the wood were all it took for him to hear her and turn back to her.

"Put that away and have a picnic with me," she commanded with a smile. He did. And then they did. The blanket was unfolded, they sat down on the grass and ate their food, all the while playing their new favorite game:

"What do you think Gideon is doing right now?"

They gave their various answers to this question multiple times in a day it seemed. At the moment, in her mind, her son was sitting and eating lunch with Ellen who was finally old enough to attend school with him. He was telling her about his latest trip to see them, and she was insisting he let her come with him.

To him, however, Gideon was simply in class, learning the magic of alchemy and trying to hold back all that he knew about a man who once spun straw into gold.

"There now," she commented as he laughed. "That's better than thinking too much on this old thing." She reached over to take the prophecy from him and folded it back up perfectly again. He was silent as she did it, allowing her to take it and put it away in the basket as she leaned back into his embrace and they watched the sun together.

"I suppose I worry too much," he finally murmured in her ear.

"You always have," she smiled. "The words on the page won't change, Rumple, this is just as it was when you had to wait for the opportune time to go after Baelfire."

"I know that, but then I made myself busy, I was aware of just how much control and power over that situation I had. I have none here, I have no idea when the sun will set or the kind of time we'll have when it does. I'm powerless. And there are times I worry we'll be too late." His hand wove through the strands of her hair, tucking the grays back and she felt the guilt seize her heart, understanding that what he was fearful of was exactly what they were waiting for. It took everything she had not to tell him the truth every waking second.

"It'll happen right when it is supposed to my darling," she muttered. "That's how prophecies work, you can't rush them and why should we? I'm perfectly content sitting here beside you."

"And beside you is where I'll stay, as long as it takes, until the curse is broken."

With a sigh she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, desperate not to allow the tears she felt there to escape. She hoped that was what lay beyond for him, that he'd keep her with him through his own end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Simple chapter. A lot of the prompted chapters were taking the scenes we saw in the montage and expanding them a bit. Not a lot. That wasn't necessary because all was at peace, but it was fun to give them a different kind of perspective, knowing that Belle knows what is coming and Rumple doesn't. Kinda puts a different spin on this.
> 
> Thank you so much Goldenspinner1953 and MissBansheeAbby for your comments on the last chapter! I'm glad that you liked it! We really are down to only the last few chapters of Moments. I'm dizzy just thinking about it. Peace and Happy Reading!


	40. A Simple Kind of Love

"What do you think Gideon is doing right now?"

They'd had their dinner, or what they called dinner at least, and were preparing to go up to their room for bed when she'd looked out at the sunset and decided she wanted just one more look at it before bed. Out they'd trudged to the cliff so that she could see it easily enough. In this place she felt like a queen, worshiped and loved, her Kingdom sprawled out before her castle on a hill. And with her husband beside her, his arm around her shoulders as they both took in the sight, she felt as though she was the luckiest person in the world. Maybe even all the realms.

"I imagine him eating dinner as he does his homework."

His answer made her smile, only because their guesses were not far off from each other. "I think the same, only the book he's reading isn't homework it's just for fun."

They both chuckled and continued to stare out at the-

"Actually, he's right behind you!"

She felt her smile stretch beyond what she'd felt certain it was capable and looked over her shoulder to find her son standing there with an equally wide smile and a case in his hand.

"Gideon!" she cried did her best to run over to him, but was aware that in the end, it must have looked only like a little trot as her knees objected. No matter the way, she finally reached him though. He leaned down to hug her just as tight as he always did and she rested her head on his shoulder, as he had done with her when he was a child.

After a moment of muttered words, she felt her boy pull away as he moved to hug his father. Unwilling to sit on the sidelines, she threw her arms around both her boys, suddenly very happy she hadn't gone to bed and missed this.

He hardly looked any different, he never did, though he assured her that the last he'd seen her was only a few months ago at best, that he visited seasonally, it always felt like years had passed to her. She wasn't sure if that was because of the time change here in Paradise Falls, or because he was her son. After all, it was all too easy to remember how he'd gone off to kindergarten for a few hours when he was younger, and it had felt like days until he returned to her. He never seemed to stay very long when he came, it was the only time living on this mountain when the time seemed to go faster than it usually did. Even though it had only been months to him, and he claimed there wasn't much that was "new" to tell them, she hung on his every word. She lapped every last detail up and used it to construct an image in her mind of Gideon and his life back at Elphaine and then beyond. The more he talked to her about it, the more one body that she'd never pictured when he'd been a boy seemed to emerge and be prominent.

"How is Ellen? She must be angry with you for coming up here so often?" she questioned him one afternoon as the three of them sat on the porch, she and Rumple in their perspective chairs, while Gideon leaned up against one of the posts with his eyes closed, looking perfectly content.

"She doesn't mind it so much, I come up on a break, and usually I'm home again before it's time for tea."

"Speaking of tea, would you like yours?" Rumple questioned glancing over at her. She nodded. It was about that time of the day when she was a little peckish for her tea and after asking Gideon he rose out of his seat and went into the house leaving her with her son.

"I want a love like that someday," he muttered almost absent-mindedly from where he sat.

She smiled at such words and already felt a blush rising. "Like what?"

"You and father, sitting here, together…"

She let out a small laugh. "We're waiting!"

"Yes, I know!" he beamed back. "But your company seems all you need to keep you both strong through it. I want a love like that. A love that I can sit on a porch with and not say a word but have a conversation all the same."

"And Ellen isn't company enough?" she'd asked it with a laugh but could hear the suspicion in her voice. Was he commenting on all this because he hadn't found such a love yet, or because he had?

But Gideon didn't answer her. He merely opened his eyes and cast his gaze out over the land in front of the house. Oddly enough she felt as though that gesture was enough to answer the question for her. He never withheld secrets from them, nothing big at least, the fact that he wasn't responding suggested that he wasn't sure himself, but the fact that he'd spoken about it told her he was sure, deep down, at least subconsciously. He loved Ellen. He probably had for a long while before now, but love came with complications all it's own; like wondering if that was going to be the true love of his life or the love of this part of his life.

She had an opinion about that, the way she did most things, but thought it better just now instead to let it rest.

"It's more than a bit romantic, I suppose, to dream of such a rare thing as true love," he finally mumbled half under his breath.

She shook her head. "It's not. And I don't think it's as rare as you think it is Gideon. It's as rare as you make it. One day you'll find such a love…at school or on an adventure…with a stranger or with Ellen…the details are uncertain, but belief is not. So long as you keep striving for it, it'll be there one day. Right there, waiting for you."

"Do you really believe such things?" he asked as Rumple returned with a tray in hand and tree warm cups of tea. He handed Gideon his own and then gave her one as well. He sat back down beside her and reached across the divide with his empty hand, a silent request for her to fill it with her own. She did with a beaming smile.

"I do," she finally answered Gideon. "With all my heart, I do."

Watching Gideon leave two sleeps later was just as painful as it had always been. But this time around she felt a lightness in her heart, knowing he was going back to spend the rest of his break with Ellen, who she was certain would take care of him, and maybe even one day sit on the porch with him as they said good-bye to their grandchildren.

"We've done well with him," she muttered as she wrapped her hands around Rumple and watched him go.

"Very well," he agreed. "That boy is definitely something to be proud of…"

"No…" she smiled as she watched him throw a bean to create a portal, then turn to wave at them before leaving. "He's a man to be proud of."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, ladies and gentlemen, you have said good-bye to Gideon. He'll come up after this, of course, in conversation, but when it comes to him having a staring role, this is it. You are really free from here on out to imagine the kind of life that he has. Personally, I always sort of imagined him marrying Ellen, settling down in the village, in the home his parents left for him after school, the pair having children and one day, after Rumple and Belle are gone, using the beans to go back and forth to visit Rapunzel, Flynn, and Pascal, since they were always sort of a second family to him. But really...it's up to you to decide.
> 
> Thank you Rolf and Goldenspinner1953 for your comment on the last chapter. I hope that I've left you with enough of a picture in your head of Gideon grow and a man that you can picture the rest from here. Obviously, he'll turn up in the Chronicles but we have a long way to go until then. What we have now is only four more chapters in this fiction. Peace and Happy Reading!


	41. A Quiet Life

She was aware that spending one's entire life with a single individual was a romantic idea that often never came to fruition for one reason or another. And to spend that lifetime happy and not in a state of relaxed acceptance was rarer still. But somehow they'd managed to do just that.

She had not a qualm about who she'd decided to spend her life with. And though she could not say their marriage was a perfect, spotless record of happiness, she could say that they'd gotten their troubles out of the way at the start and that left them with nothing but pleasant, happy smiles day in and out.

She doubted her parents had ever been as happy as they were. She doubted anyone was, even Snow and David. And the longer they stayed, the longer they sat with one another, never running out of conversation, the more she was aware that they were truly a perfect match in every way.

He was her husband, but he was her best friend first, and these days her lover last. It didn't matter that sex was finally fading from their lives, he still told her she was beautiful morning after morning, year after year. It didn't matter that the life they led now was quiet and far less of the adventure she'd imaged it would be, they were together and as long as they were with one another there was not a single complaint in her mind. It was difficult to say there ever would be when they sat across the room, staring at each other and chuckling each time they were caught. He finally rose to his feet, turned the crank on the gramophone, and held out a hand to her.

"Are you looking for a partner, Mr. Gold?" she questioned, marking her place and rising as quickly as she could.

"In life and death as well as dance, Mrs. Gold."

She blushed. "I might be the very person you are looking for."

"How lucky I was to find you."

Dancing wasn't as easy for her as it once had been, she couldn't do it for hours on end as she had been before Gideon was born, but he moved slow for her. They both remembered the steps perfectly and locked adoring gazes through the entire thing, never breaking eye contact. It was an intimacy their son informed them was "intense" and "extreme" but always seemed normal to the pair of them. At least until the time came that he released her to give a spin. Even then, she found his eyes again quickly, then his arms, and finally his lips.

As a new song started, he held her against him, and she let her head rest on his shoulder.

In life and death…

She wouldn't move on, not without him. Though she knew, of course, her life would have to fade out before his own she knew that when she got back to the Underworld, that place that was in between, she'd stay and wait for him before moving on. She wasn't sure how she would manage this in the Underworld, how she would figure out ways to watch over him and Gideon from where she'd be, but she knew that she'd figure it out. Certainly, they wouldn't be the first couple separated by death, and she was certain, absolutely positive, that the prophecy about their love, a love that would never die, meant something special for whatever their afterlife meant. Love could do powerful things. She'd seen it change light into darkness and darkness into light. She'd seen it create life and stop death, summon up courage in the most cowardly of men and turn the bravest of them timid. It brought happiness untold along with anger and sadness and joy and exhilaration untold. Now, she had only one thing to see it do: redeem a man who had lived a life of wickedness in the ultimate way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest chapter in Moments Beyond. And yet...not the shortest chapter in the Moments Series. That comes in the next fiction. Since we've only got a few chapters left I figure I better clue you in on how the rest of this is going to go down. There are three more chapters in Moments Beyond, this fiction ONLY covers everything up until Belle passes away. (Did that need a spoiler alert?) I was always hoping that Moments Beyond would be the last fiction in the series but after I saw the Series Finale, I knew two things. 1) I HAD to write that! 2) That scene didn't belong in this fiction. It just doesn't. The last chapter here is a wonderful closing chapter and to continue after that would have seemed wrong. So, the next and the official last fiction in the Moments Series, turns out to be Moments Ever After. It consists of only two chapters. MEA deals with everything we saw in the Underworld. Why so short? Well...I don't want to spoil it, though it has been hinted at here a couple of times, so...you'll see. I'll be sure to explain when we get there.
> 
> Until then, I thank you Rolf and Goldenspinner1953 for your comments. I'm happy to hear that even though they've been slow and short you've enjoyed these little chapters. I was a bit worried people would lose interest once we reached this point so I'm thrilled to have readers still out there! I'll hope you'll bear with me for what we have left! Peace and Happy Reading!


	42. The Legacy They Leave

The sun was setting, that much was clear.

Of course, it wasn't the sun that she woke up and saw hanging in the sky every morning that was setting. That sun was still there, always hanging in a perpetual state of sunset without actually going anywhere.

No, the sunset she was aware of, the one she was finally preparing herself for, was her own. She'd been blessed, she supposed, to be as active and lively as she had been for so long, to still be as active and lively as she was. But she had to admit that day in and day out she sensed age looming over her in ways she hadn't expected. Sitting had become a requirement, she could only stand and walk and move to do chores in short bursts, and when she was done and sat down to read or write or sew and sometimes she still found herself tired.

Rumpelstiltskin had to assume most of the cooking; it was simply too much for her to do anymore. But he didn't appear to feel sorry for her, sympathetic, perhaps, but he didn't look at her as pitiful. She couldn't say the same. She felt sorry for him, because she aged and he didn't. There once was a time that people had sneered at the two of them together, someone had even called out on a street in New York once that she was young enough to be his daughter. Now it was the reverse. Though he was still older than her, he looked young enough to be her son. For the first time, she began to doubt her plan, to wonder if this was torture for him, to be forced to watch her grow old and wrinkle, to depend on him more and more for the things she couldn't do. To keep him oblivious of this plan was to keep fear alive in his heart.

She often wondered if he'd figured it out yet, if after all these decades of living here he had figured out the prophecy for himself, but in the moments that she looked up and caught him gazing at her or found him out on the porch watching the sun more and more carefully, she knew he hadn't.

"Let's sit outside before bed," she suggested when she saw him looking during their dinner. Ever faithful, after the dishes were done and candles doused she gripped his arm, and they made their long walk, her exercise, down to the perch of the cliff to where two chairs waited for them. He helped her into her seat and before he settled beside her and righted her dress for her. Then he extended his hand with a smile and a blush. With a smile of her own she gave him her hand to hold as they sat.

This was right. She had to tell herself it was right over and over again, that she hadn't mistranslated that prophecy or misunderstood its meaning. She would pass and the way would be clear for him, it would be a way back to her not just for a while but forever. He would find the end of the curse to come back to her, she had no doubt about that, the more she waited the more she was certain that she'd seen the proof of it. But until then she couldn't help but wonder what would become of her beloved when she was gone. Would he read the letters she'd left him in the back of their Travel Book? Would he rage with anger? Would the Dark One take him over again? In a perfect world what came after her death would be easy, but she knew it was filled with variables and possibilities she wasn't prepared to face just yet. So much of their lives, all of it, had been built around one another, she wasn't prepared to imagine him alone. For she knew that it wasn't enough to say that she and Neal would look over him in whatever afterlife there was to come. Either she'd be right, and he'd be there already waiting for her, or she'd be wrong, and he'd be alone with Gideon, at least until their son passed. And then that would be the worst of it. His family would be together, and if he didn't break this curse, he'd never be with them again.

"What do you think Gideon is doing right now?" he finally asked her, their typical last question of the day before they decided to go in to bed. What Gideon was doing was always enough to shake her from her surroundings and deliver her back to the present, or at least a present in a far away land.

"I imagine…he's with Ellen, they're talking about what they'll name our grandchildren," she suggested with a small happy giggle. That was waiting that was killing her. At his last visit Gideon had made his intentions to ask the farrier's daughter to marry him clear, but so far he hadn't visited again and she was going mad with wondering whether or not he'd done it yet. She didn't want to push Gideon to go any faster than he needed, but she had to admit, the thought that he might be married and have a child before she passed, that she might see or even hold her grandchild thrilled her.

Beside her, Rumple chuckled at the image and tightened his hand around her own. "Are you hoping for a 'Belle' or 'Collette'?" he questioned.

"No, not hoping, though I do think 'Neal is likely in the running for a boy."

Again he let out a soft snort. "That's getting to be overused at this point. First Baelfire, then Snow and David, and then Gideon's middle name-"

"Impossible," she scoffed gently. "No name could be overused, especially Neal's."

He went quiet very suddenly, one corner of his mouth turned up in amusement as his eyes swam with memories of his eldest son. "No, I suppose you are right," he finally gave in.

She smiled and squeezed his hand as they stared out at the son again. "As for a girl…I think Lucy would be a lovely name."

"Lucy?" he questioned. "As in our great-granddaughter?"

Yes, that. Well, she supposed then that they already had a granddaughter in some way named Lucy. Funny thing though, she'd always considered his family her own, Neal she thought of as her own first son and Henry…well it felt like a lifetime ago since she'd shied away from his declarations of "grandma". But suddenly, as she watched the sun hang in sky and took in the warmth she realized that though they were her family they also weren't. Lucy was her great-granddaughter and yet she wasn't related, didn't have a single drop of her blood flowing through her veins. It didn't change anything, of course, she still loved Lucy just as she had when she'd first met her, still considered her their great-grandchild, but she got a small secret thrill at the thought of Gideon having children. A little girl with brown hair like hers and caramel eyes like her father and grandfather before her. She couldn't wait for Gideon to experience that, to begin that legacy that would truly one day trace back to the pair of them. Yes, she thought of their great-granddaughter, but also…

"If we'd had a girl I would have liked to name her Lucy," she admitted.

"After someone you knew?" he questioned, looking shocked and surprised. She felt much the same. A lifetime married to him and there were still unplundered regions of her mind he was discovering. That was why they never got bored with one another.

"Not really…I think my third great grandmother had the name Lucille but in every reference I ever read or heard about her she was called Lucy. I always thought it was beautiful. If we have a grandchild-"

"I think that's likely."

"A granddaughter then," she chuckled. "Lucy would be a wonderful name. Don't you agree?"

His smile of amusement curled over his face as he sighed, focusing once more on the sunset before them. "Lucy it is then." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute little musings. I wrote this one before season 7 and it was important to me that I bring back the "Lucy" name, in tribute to EDR saying once that she would have named a Rumbelle daughter Lucy. Also, I just thought this was a great chapter for showing some age, some love, and thinking about the negatives in this plan of hers because it is clear that there are negatives. Growing old can't be easy for either of them when you think about it. And think that it takes great courage on her part to face it so certainly.
> 
> Thank you to Goldenspinner1953 for your comments on the last chapter. These last two chapters are certainly sad though I like to think of the next chapter more as...reminiscent. Peace and Happy Reading!


	43. Final Hours

The layers were a necessity. All of it, from the gloves she kept over her cold fingers to the shawls she kept draped around her almost all the time for the last few years. There were a number of things she had never known about aging, but perhaps the one that surprised her the most was how she was always cold. She knew it was warm out, but it didn't stop her fingers from going numb if there wasn't something wrapped around them. The only time she wasn't wearing gloves these days was when he was sitting next to her. He pulled those gloves off finger by finger, then held those fingers tight between his palms, much the same way he draped himself over her at night, providing warmth as she needed it. At least warmth on the outside. Every now and then, though, there was a warmth that he gave her that came from the inside.

This morning, as she'd reached up to grab a folded shawl from the top of their closet, she had to pause for a moment when her arm began to shake with strain. But it was as she stared upward that she noticed something sitting on the high shelf she hadn't noticed before. It was the corner of a box, a small one by the look of it, one that she was certain she hadn't seen before. Part of her knew she shouldn't pry, but even as she'd had that thought she already had the little step stool he'd crafted for her out so she could retrieve the strange object. Tired, she'd sat down on the bed, careful to listen for the sounds of him making breakfast downstairs before she truly looked at it.

It was just a box, a plain wooden box, if not for the small rose carved into the top of it. And it was dusty on top, as if it hadn't been touched for years. Gently she brushed the dust off of it and opened the lid.

There wasn't much inside. A folded mask of some kind she didn't recognize, rose petals, a drawing that she recognized as one that Gideon had done when he was in kindergarten of the pair of them standing beside him as a brown-haired man with wings smiled from a cloud. And then…

There at the bottom of the box was one of their pictures. Her. On the bed at the cabin, smiling in adoration at something that obviously wasn't the lens of the camera. She wore only a black negligee, far too revealing to be anything she would ever have wanted to take a picture in and that was when the memory came back to her plain as day. Their first anniversary at the cabin, when she'd given him the camera and he'd unexpectedly taken her picture. She'd chastised him immediately after she'd seen the flash begging him to destroy it, but he'd promised her that it would be kept somewhere safe, for his eyes only. She'd never seen it again, in fact, she'd barely even thought of it again. Not until now at least. Old and yellowing at the very bottom of a dusty box that obviously hadn't been opened in years and those facts alone were enough to make her heart swell.

She didn't look like that anymore, she was wrinkled and spotted and cold, but she had never felt one bit self-conscious about it. He still kissed her as if she was that young girl, still took the same joy in her as though she was that girl, still told her how beautiful she was, just as he had then. A memory he didn't go back to…it meant more to her than any anniversary gift he could have given.

Of course, there had been changes in their lives because of her age. After she put the box safely away she was ever more aware of the fact, that though she always said she could walk up and down the steps herself, the moment he heard the squeak of her weight on the top step he made his way up to greet her, kiss her, than sweep her into his arms and carried her downstairs himself. Though she was certain she could do it, it was probably for the better.

She did feel brittle and breakable these days. It was a consequence of being too aware, of her spirit being strong enough and her mind smart enough to evaluate how she was feeling day to day as her body deteriorated. The shake in her hands. The pain in her joints. The erratic beat of her heart this morning paired with the slight alien twinge she felt in her left arm. She probably just slept on it wrong. Feeling would return soon enough.

Together they sat down to have the breakfast she'd heard him preparing, eggs and plums on the side, her favorite. Just as always. And afterward, they began their day. He cleaned the dishes as she started her daily cleaning and when she'd finished he sat in his chair to read, quiet, stable, eyes on her figure as she moved about their home, prepared to rise and help should she require it, but unwilling to take the job from her completely, knowing it wasn't what she wanted.

She wanted her independence, she strived for it, demanded it even. But it didn't stop his eyes from staying on her. Especially as she mounted the stool to open the closed curtains, ever watching, always cautious. Curtains always made him nervous. So when she finally had hold of them and turned back, she wasn't surprised to find his eyes on her. She smiled, just as she'd smiled when she was that young girl in the photo. In return, he offered her a smirk and knew they were both thinking of the castle, and the ladder she'd fallen from long ago. But this wasn't that time. And she turned happily back to her work, through open the curtains, let the light in, and-

Her smile vanished as the twinge in her arm caught fire and her chest seized. She had the sense to try and step back and get on solid ground, but her legs wouldn't work right, and she felt her balance begin to falter, her arms reeling wildly to get it back.

The world seemed to fade, she heard him call her name, but it sounded distant, as if she were underwater, and suddenly she saw the room tip forward so that she was looking at the ceiling.

She felt his arms around her back then, catching her from hitting the floor but still felt a good knock from the table on her head. As the room faded to black she gazed up and found Rumpelstiltskin there beside her. Just a bit too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the picture that he took at the cabin in the first chapter returns. But the way it returns and the state that she finds it in is really the treasure in the end. It's dusty and old, hasn't been looked at in years, and that means that though she's aged she has remained all that he's ever needed. He's not sneaking glances at it, thinking back to a better time when Belle was younger or hotter. He loves her just the way she is and therefore doesn't need it. That's the meaning behind that.
> 
> Thank you Goldenspinner1953 and Rolf for your comments on the last chapter, they are greatly appreciated. Up next is obviously the last chapter for Moments Beyond. What a long journey we've been on, eh?! Peace and Happy Reading!


	44. The End of the End

She was drifting, alone in a river of dark blackness of some kind. Weightless, she could hear the voice of her husband calling out her name and see the face of her son from somewhere up on the bank. Ellen came up behind him and grabbed his hand as Gideon watched her float by. A moment later he turned and collapsed into Ellen's arms, his back shaking with tears like it hadn't since he was a boy. Ellen comforted him. That was good. Because she was floating and though she didn't want her son to cry, she felt no urge to move. It was the oddest sensation.

But from somewhere above, the voice grew louder, she felt her back suddenly pressed against something as her weight returned and her eyes fluttered open to find she wasn't on a river but back in their home, with Rumple hovering over her. It wasn't a terrible surprise. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she would have expected him to be by her side, no matter what. No, what shocked her as she took stalk of where she was and what was happening was that some of her senses were not returning. He had a hand on her face, her cheek perhaps, but she couldn't feel it. Or even the couch beneath her or her hands. His face was crystal clear in her vision, worry lines right where she knew he had them, but the rest of the room was swimming, bathed in a blurriness that meant the only thing she saw was bright light. It was like a sunset.

"Oh, Belle," he sighed, his voice still sounding a bit distorted. "I thought I'd lost you."

She smiled, the pain in her chest making it difficult to breathe. Odd how she could wait an entire lifetime for this one moment and now that it was here feel such an odd mix of emotions. Fear and sadness were among the most prevalent, but her son's face, which kept appearing as her husbands before her eyes when she didn't stay focused, as well as Rumple's, kept her heart light even as she felt it failing within her body. It was time. And she had to be sure he was strong enough for the journey ahead. She had to show no fear one last time. And then, if she was lucky, she'd meet him again in the blink of an eye.

"You'll never lose me," she assured him.

"No, I don't have to." His face faded in and out of focus as he stretched away from her and when he came back into focus she saw the one thing she didn't want to see, a spot of black against the light, the one last fight they'd have to have for she knew exactly what he intended to do with that dagger. The conversation that he'd shared with Gideon in the kitchen was finally coming to fruition, and she couldn't let it. She shook her head, taking a breath trying to argue. "Just…just let me use it! Just this once!" he begged as she reached up to push it away. Her hands were unsteady, though it was right in front of her it was difficult to find it. "I can fix whatever ails you. Make you young again!"

Two lifetimes with him. What a beautiful thing that would be. But what an unnatural thing it would be. "Live a single natural life with you," was what he'd said. They'd had that. And as much as she wanted more, she knew it would only put off the inevitable. And where would it stop? With Gideon? His wife? With their grandchildren or great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren? No. This was the only way for them, their entire family, to truly be together forever. All it required was an eternal love and one final good-bye. It was time he learned the truth.

"Rumple-"

"We need more time, the sun hasn't set yet!" he exclaimed frantically. She wondered if he could feel her life slipping away just now as she did. The darkness on the edge of her vision that was beginning to overtake the light. "And we still don't have the answer we need to get rid of the dagger so I can join you!"

The darkness she was seeing seemed just as warm as the light around her. She didn't know darkness could be warm.

"There's…something I need to tell you!" she interrupted quickly. For if she didn't say it now, she might not get the chance to. She was touching something. She knew that much, but what she couldn't tell. It wasn't just her fingers numbing it was her arms as well. "When I translated the prophecy all those years ago…I realized the sun…that needed to set at the edge of realms…it wasn't the one in the sky…it was mine." He handed it better than she thought he would. Tears, but no argument. He only glanced out the window. She only breathed and wondered how she'd never known breathing could be this difficult in all her life. "'When the Dark One finds eternal love at the suns brightest set'…it means you have to believe our love is powerful enough…to outlast death. Only then…will you find the path…that will lead you back to me." She didn't understand how her body could be failing and yet producing such feelings, such tears as it did. She didn't understand how she was capable of smiling at him as she tore his entire perceived notions in two. As she ripped his world apart.

"How could you keep that from me?" he questioned, looking like Gideon had as a child when they told him Santa Claus wasn't real. He was upset, betrayed, but he knew the answer to the question even as he asked it.

"I knew you wouldn't accept it," she admitted, wishing her hands would work better so that she could reach up and touch his face, offer better comfort than she could. "But you would have spent…all our lives searching for another answer. And…I wanted to live our lives…and we did." And what a life it had been. "And now it…it's time to let me go." The darkness was growing, drawing the light closer to her every second. If he didn't let her go, she'd be torn from him soon enough. He had to let go. It would be better.

His face distorted through tears, blurring in her vision when he wasn't still. He shook his head. "Belle I can't," he cried. "I'm afraid."

It broke her heart, but she had already known something like that was coming, she'd had time to think on it over the decades, and knew exactly the way to calm the Prince she saw before her. The notes she'd left behind would see him safely through his journey, she believed it, in her heart of hearts she knew it was the truth because he'd already completed it, but that didn't mean he still didn't have a journey to take. She hoped this would help them both see her safely through her own.

"Let me tell you a story then," she muttered. "Once upon a time, there was a beast who took a girl prisoner…but he fell in love with her…and then he let her go. And that is when the girl realized that she loved him too."

The darkness was staining the room, the only other thing she saw in the remaining circle of light was his face, crying despite his efforts to hold it back. "He thought he'd never see her again," he added for her.

She nodded. "But in the end…she came back to him," she reminded him. "More than a few times…" she added with a small chuckled, though she felt her lungs wouldn't permit much of it.

"I remember that story," he commented gazing down at her.

"See!" she exclaimed. "You let me go once before…and…we found our way back to each other." They would again. She had to believe it so that he would. It was the only way she knew that she stood a chance of ever seeing him at the end of this. Otherwise, the beast might take him again. "You're a good man, Rumple. Your heart is pure."

The darkness was closing in, drawing his face ever further from her and somehow in it, she managed to raise her hand to touch his face as she'd wanted to all along. This wouldn't be the last time she saw it.

"You will find the answer you need to get rid of the dagger," she stated quickly. Though the words burned her chest. "And you  _will_ find your way back to me again," she ordered. Her heart hurt. For a reason entirely different than it had been. "I promise," she managed to choke as the light began to fade and she fought to keep him in her sight.

There were more words there on the tip of her tongue but she was suddenly so tired. And from what she saw in his face, she knew that he already knew them and felt them just as she did. So she closed her eyes on him, the last perfect image she could ever want of her life and made the words the last thought she'd ever have in this world.

_I love you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, welcome to the end. I really hope that you enjoyed this story! The next story in the Moments series is Moments Ever After and you can find it by simply heading over to my profile. It begins with the moment just after Belle passes in "Beauty" and ends with Rumple and Belle reuniting in "Leaving Storybrooke".
> 
> Of course, if you liked what you read please leave kudos or a comment! I love getting those wonderful little gems in my inbox and communicating with the people reading on a personal level. And if you want to read more, please check out any of the other fictions in the Moments Series. For more information on the Moments Series, upcoming fictions, posting and publishing dates, or a reading order, check out my profile for more details. Peace and Happy Reading!


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